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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: can · file · rush · bear · pitch · jam · court · bark

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. file — a line of people
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. court — of law
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bear — the animal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. file — a tool
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. court — of a king
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. can — a tin
  20. court — for sport
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. can — a tin
  23. file — a document
  24. pitch — completely

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