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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bark · pitch · bear · suit · present · hand · key · band

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. present — a gift
  6. key — in music
  7. band — a music group
  8. bear — the animal
  9. band — a ring
  10. suit — in cards
  11. present — the time now
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. suit — clothes
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. present — there
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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