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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bark · shower · cabinet · patient · prune · drill · foot

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. drill — a practice
  10. prune — to trim
  11. shower — to wash
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pitch — completely
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. shower — rain
  22. prune — to trim
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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