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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: chest · current · toast · fork · bear · bark · pitch · trunk

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  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. chest — a box
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fork — in a road
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. toast — bread
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. current — electric
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pitch — completely
  23. toast — the most admired
  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