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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. firm — a company
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. last — finally
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lean — to bend
  13. last — to go on
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. drill — army training
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. firm — decided
  21. rock — music
  22. firm — steady
  23. last — final
  24. rock — to move gently

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