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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: bowl · pop · pit · pitch · bark · toast · capital · bulb

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pitch — completely
  3. toast — bread
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pop — music
  7. capital — a city
  8. bulb — for light
  9. capital — money
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pop — to visit
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bulb — for light
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pop — soda
  24. bark — of a tree

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