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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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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 · bark · kid · fall · arm · fine · wake · mouse

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fine — all right
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitch — completely
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fall — the season
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bark — to shout
  24. arm — a part of something

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