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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: bark · toast · suit · pit · pass · pitch · club · straw

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pit — in a race
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. suit — to fit
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pass — a permit
  18. toast — bread
  19. club — for golf
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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