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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: swing · bark · prune · lean · staff · chair · pitch · net

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lean — to bend
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. swing — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. staff — employees
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. swing — to play on
  16. net — after costs
  17. lean — thin
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chair — a leader
  20. staff — employees
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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