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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: pitch · rush · bark · bat · toast · present · jam · mug

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. present — a gift
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mug — a face
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bark — to shout
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. toast — bread
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. present — the time now
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rush — hurry
  22. present — there
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bat — the animal

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