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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — thin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. can — a tin
  13. bass — low music
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bass — the fish
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pitch — completely
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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