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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 116 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: pop · fork · bowl · bark · bear · pitch · bass · present

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. present — a gift
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pop — music
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pop — soda
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. present — there
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. present — the time now
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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