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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: bark · face · present · swing · leaves · pitch · ground · bore

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. swing — music
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. present — a gift
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. face — part of the head
  6. present — there
  7. ground — the earth
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. ground — a position
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. face — to confront
  16. present — the time now
  17. ground — crushed
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bark — to shout
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bore — to drill
  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