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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: rush · dip · field · row · pass · bark · pitch · cap

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rush — hurry
  9. row — a line
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. field — for sport
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. field — a subject
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bark — to shout
  24. field — farmland

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