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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 120 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: pitch · leaves · bass · bay · wake · pit · foot · bark

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bass — low music
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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