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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 120 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: pitch · bound · bark · deal · rock · suit · game · fall

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rock — music
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rock — a stone
  11. suit — to fit
  12. fall — to drop
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. game — wild animals
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. fall — the season
  21. game — a match
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pitch — a sports field

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