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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pitch — completely
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. can — to be able to
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bark — to shout
  8. snap — to click
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. can — a tin
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. swing — music
  17. can — a tin
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stand — to bear
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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