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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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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: cell · wind · pitch · arm · bark · drill · rock · fork

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fork — in a road
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cell — a phone
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. drill — army training

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