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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: bark · mouse · spring · face · rash · pitch · rock · nail

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. spring — of water
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rock — music
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. face — to point toward
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. spring — the season
  23. rock — a stone
  24. nail — on a finger

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