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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. land — to come down
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pitch — completely
  8. land — a country
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. lean — to bend
  12. land — ground
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bass — low music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bark — to shout
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. lean — thin
  24. tube — a container

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