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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. spell — magic
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. field — farmland
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. field — a subject
  17. pitch — completely
  18. snap — to click
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. field — for sport
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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