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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 116 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: land · bark · pound · game · mouse · pitch · key · wake

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bark — to shout
  7. land — a country
  8. pitch — completely
  9. key — the most important part
  10. land — ground
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. key — in music
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. land — to come down
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. game — a match
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mouse — for a computer

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