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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
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: tube · drill · object · wind · bound · pitch · bark · staff

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. staff — employees
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. drill — army training
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bound — obliged
  13. drill — a practice
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. staff — employees
  17. wind — moving air
  18. drill — the tool
  19. staff — a stick
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bark — of a tree

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