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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.

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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: rest · plane · pitch · clip · wave · bark · bowl · mark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. plane — a tool
  5. clip — a video
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rest — what's left
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rest — a break
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bowl — a football final

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