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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. club — a group
  4. lean — thin
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fine — high quality
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fine — all right
  19. bass — low music
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. dip — to sink
  24. club — for golf

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