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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: rush · pitch · lean · trunk · deal · bark · fork · chair

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lean — thin
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. fork — in a road
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. chair — a leader
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. lean — to bend
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bark — to shout
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chair — a professorship

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