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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: bore · net · fan · wake · squash · bark · scale · pitch

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. net — for catching
  3. scale — in music
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wake — a trail
  8. net — in sport
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bark — to shout
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bore — to drill
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. net — after costs

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