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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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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: pitch · swing · race · chip · bark · present · hide · can

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. can — a tin
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. race — a contest
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pitch — completely
  8. race — the arms race
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. present — the time now
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. swing — music
  13. present — a gift
  14. bark — to shout
  15. can — a tin
  16. race — humankind
  17. can — to be able to
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. chip — for betting
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. swing — in golf
  23. present — there
  24. hide — to keep secret

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