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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. band — a ring
  8. bark — to shout
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. snap — to click
  22. band — a music group
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — for light

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