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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: suit · spell · wave · pitch · staff · bark · can · pitcher

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. staff — employees
  6. spell — letters
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. suit — to fit
  11. staff — a stick
  12. can — a tin
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. bark — to shout
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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