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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: club · row · bark · pitch · press · kick · object · staff

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. club — for golf
  3. bark — to shout
  4. press — to push
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. staff — employees
  9. row — to paddle
  10. staff — employees
  11. press — newspapers
  12. object — a thing
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. press — a publisher
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. object — to protest
  20. row — a line
  21. club — a group
  22. object — an aim
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pitch — completely

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