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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: rash · mate · mark · pitch · dip · kid · bark · last

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. last — to go on
  3. pitch — completely
  4. kid — child
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. last — finally
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rash — a series
  15. kid — to tease
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mark — a grade
  20. last — final
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mark — to pay attention

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