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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: pitch · stick · bark · season · drill · can · firm · hand

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. drill — the tool
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. season — of the year
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. drill — army training
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pitch — completely
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. hand — in cards
  19. firm — a company
  20. season — in sport
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. can — a tin
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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