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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: chip · race · bear · scale · bark · stand · swing · pitch

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bear — the animal
  3. race — humankind
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pitch — completely
  7. swing — music
  8. race — a contest
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pitch — a sports field

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