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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: suit · wound · pitch · bound · row · board · bark · firm

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. board — a committee
  7. wound — an injury
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bark — to shout
  11. suit — to fit
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bound — certain
  17. suit — in cards
  18. row — a line
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. board — to get on
  22. wound — an injury
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pitch — completely

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