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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: pitch · foot · rock · track · ball · bay · bark · snap

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bark — to shout
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. ball — a great time
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. snap — to click
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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