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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bark — to shout
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. object — a thing
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. can — to be able to
  16. object — to protest
  17. ball — a great time
  18. object — an aim
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. can — a tin
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. deal — a big deal

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