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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: lean · bark · pit · saw · ball · fan · pitch · squash

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitch — completely
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pit — in a race
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. saw — the tool

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