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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 · pitch · deal · band · row · object · can · current

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. object — to protest
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. band — a music group
  5. row — a line
  6. can — to be able to
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. band — a ring
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. row — to paddle
  17. object — an aim
  18. pitch — completely
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. object — a thing
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. current — happening now

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