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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: mate · fan · suit · bear · row · pitch · bark · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mate — a friend
  12. row — a line
  13. bear — the animal
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mate — to breed
  18. row — to paddle
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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