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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: last · fine · toast · racket · pitch · suit · degree · bark

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pitch — completely
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bark — to shout
  13. suit — clothes
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fine — high quality
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. degree — from a university

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