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

Word bank: straw · mate · bowl · pitch · bark · rule

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. 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. straw — a straw man
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bark — to shout
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rule — a law
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mate — a partner
  18. 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