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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: pitch · bark · snap · date · drill · rest · charge · lean

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. charge — in control
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bark — to shout
  8. snap — to click
  9. drill — army training
  10. date — the fruit
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pitch — completely
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rest — a break
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. charge — a price
  19. rest — what's left
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lean — thin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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