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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
468
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 · prune · pitch · bark · suit · game · mark · toast

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mark — a trace
  4. game — a match
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bark — to shout
  19. toast — bread
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitch — completely
  23. suit — in cards
  24. prune — the fruit

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