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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 · field · saw · hide · snap · bark · suit · racket

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. field — a subject
  4. pitch — completely
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. saw — the tool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. field — farmland
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. field — for sport
  14. saw — the tool
  15. suit — in cards
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. snap — to click
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bark — to shout
  24. suit — to fit

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