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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitch · date · fine · chair · prune · bark · lash · wound

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. prune — to trim
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fine — all right
  19. wound — an injury
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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