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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · wind · bay · pitch · chip · bark

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitch — completely
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chip — to eat

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