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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: suit · row · nail · bark · pitcher · pitch · last · present

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. present — the time now
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. last — finally
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bark — to shout
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. present — a gift
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. present — there
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pitch — completely
  16. row — a line
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. suit — in cards
  20. row — to paddle
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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