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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · mug · prune · net · bear · straw · cabinet · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bark — to shout
  3. net — for catching
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mug — a cup
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mug — a face
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mug — to rob

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