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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: snap · wind · bark · chair · pitch · wake

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. snap — to click
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wind — moving air
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bark — to shout

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