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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: sharp · pitch · scale · bore · pit · bark · temple · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. spell — a short time
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pitch — completely
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. scale — in music
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bore — to tire
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. spell — letters
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. sharp — clever
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bark — to shout
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bore — to drill

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