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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: shower · racket · safe · swing · toast · bark · pitch · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. shower — rain
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bark — to shout
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. swing — in golf
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitch — completely
  16. toast — bread
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. swing — music
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. shower — to wash
  21. swing — to play on
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. row — a line

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