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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: pit · bark · perch · pitch · net · bound · lash · mouse

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bound — certain
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bound — obliged
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. net — after costs
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bound — tied together

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