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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: pitch · bark · can · sharp · object · bear · field · mate

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. field — for sport
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. field — a subject
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pitch — completely
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bear — the animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bear — the animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. mate — a partner
  24. object — an aim

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