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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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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. capital — money
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. capital — a city
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pitch — completely

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