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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · mate · bark · stem · calf · suit · coach · pitch

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mate — a friend
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitch — completely
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bark — to shout
  17. saw — the tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. suit — clothes
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. suit — in cards
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. suit — to fit

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