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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: foot · nail · object · clip · chair · bark · pitch · lie

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. clip — for paper
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. clip — a video
  8. object — an aim
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pitch — completely
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lie — to recline
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. chair — a leader

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