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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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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: toast · swing · fall · pitch · bear · bark · snap · can

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fall — to drop
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitch — completely
  6. can — a tin
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. swing — music
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fall — the season
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. swing — to play on
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bear — the animal
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bear — the animal
  20. toast — bread
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. snap — to click
  23. can — a tin
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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