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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. club — for golf
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. scale — size or range
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pitch — completely
  22. club — a group
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. scale — in music

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