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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: bear · bark · deal · drill · pitch · mug · field · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bear — the animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bark — to shout
  15. drill — army training
  16. mug — a cup
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. field — farmland
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mug — a face
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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