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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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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: bay · bark · pit · press · rest · jam · calf · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. press — a publisher
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rest — a break
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pit — in a race
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rest — what's left
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bay — a horse colour

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