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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: fall · bay · kick · pound · pitch · cabinet · rush · bark

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pound — a weight
  20. kick — in football
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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