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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pass — a permit
  10. swing — in golf
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. swing — music
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pitch — a sports field

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