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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 124 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: perch · pitch · wind · march · staff · rash · vault · stick

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. march — the month
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. march — the month
  5. rash — hasty
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. wind — moving air
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. march — music
  19. staff — employees
  20. rash — a series
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wind — to turn a key

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