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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: object · pitch · leaves · chair · perch · drill · fan · pop

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. pop — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. object — a thing
  6. pop — to visit
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. drill — a practice
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pitch — completely
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pop — soda
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. drill — army training
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. perch — the fish
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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