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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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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: mark · pitch · perch · leaves · object · pound · hide · net

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. net — after costs
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. object — an aim
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mark — a trace
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitch — completely
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pound — a weight
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. object — a thing

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