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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · pitch · wake · mug · bark · tube · firm · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rock — music
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bark — to shout
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. pitch — completely
  20. firm — decided
  21. mug — a face
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chest — of your body
  24. tube — a container

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