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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
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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: staff · bound · bark · squash · kick · degree · firm · pitch

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. staff — employees
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. staff — a stick
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. firm — steady
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. staff — employees
  12. kick — in football
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. firm — a company
  20. degree — temperature
  21. firm — decided
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. degree — an amount
  24. squash — the vegetable

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