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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: fine · race · stick · bark · pitch · stand · calf · row

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. race — humankind
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. race — a contest
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pitch — completely
  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