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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: foot · board · stick · bark · press · straw · bear · pitch

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bark — to shout
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. board — to get on
  9. bear — the animal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. board — a committee
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. press — newspapers
  20. pitch — completely
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. press — to push

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