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

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bark — to shout
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitch — completely
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. face — to confront
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cue — for pool
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cue — a hint
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stock — shares
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stock — goods
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. ground — a position

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