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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. craft — a skill
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. kick — in football
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. craft — boats
  24. bark — to shout

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