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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. net — after costs
  4. bark — to shout
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fall — the season
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lean — thin
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — in sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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