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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: bark · pitch · club · tube · can · bore · pitcher · mine

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. can — a tin
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bark — to shout
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. club — a group
  16. mine — for digging
  17. club — for golf
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bore — to drill
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — a container
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. tube — the underground

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