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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · mouse · pitch · race · season · bark · patient · ball

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. race — humankind
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. season — of the year
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. race — a contest
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ball — a great time

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