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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mug — a face
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — in sport
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. board — a committee
  15. mug — to rob
  16. net — after costs
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fall — the season
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mug — a cup
  22. board — to get on
  23. net — for catching
  24. board — a flat piece

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