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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: fall · coach · pitch · wax · file · can · bark · bear

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. can — a tin
  7. file — a tool
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wax — to grow
  10. file — a document
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fall — the season
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fall — to drop
  24. can — to be able to

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