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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: mark · lash · ruler · coach · band · pitch · bark · fall

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bark — to shout
  15. fall — to drop
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mark — a trace
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. fall — the season
  24. ruler — for measuring

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