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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bank — for money
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. club — a group
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pitch — completely

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