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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 120 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: pitch · content · bark · bear · bass · bore · spring · rest

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rest — what's left
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. content — the amount
  7. bass — low music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. spring — the season
  10. bass — the fish
  11. content — happy
  12. spring — of water
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rest — a break
  24. pitch — a sports field

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