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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: net · scale · hand · firm · pitch · bark · suit · wake

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. firm — steady
  9. hand — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. net — in sport
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. hand — help
  20. net — after costs
  21. wake — a trail
  22. suit — clothes
  23. net — for catching
  24. wake — before a funeral

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