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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: stick · lie · straw · bark · pitcher · root · net · pit

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. root — of a word
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. root — the cause
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. net — after costs
  17. root — of a plant
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — in sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. net — for catching

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