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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: mug · fork · roll · pitch · wave · foot · bark · band

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. band — a music group
  4. pitch — completely
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mug — to rob
  13. band — a ring
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. foot — a measure
  16. roll — a cake
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mug — a face
  21. fork — in a road
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bark — to shout
  24. roll — a list

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