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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · stick · stand · fall · pitch · scale · straw · perch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fall — the season
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stand — to bear
  11. scale — in music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fall — to drop
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fall — to drop
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. scale — size or range
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com