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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: pit · toast · spring · bound · sharp · bark · pitch · band

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. band — a music group
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spring — the season
  7. bound — certain
  8. pitch — completely
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. sharp — clever
  16. toast — bread
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bound — tied together
  19. spring — of water
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pit — a hole

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