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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pitch — completely
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mark — a trace
  5. lie — to recline
  6. net — in sport
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mark — a grade
  11. net — for catching
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. net — after costs
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pitcher — a jug

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