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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 · cell · pop · tube · stick · foot · swing · pitch

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cell — in biology
  3. swing — music
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cell — a phone
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tube — a container
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pop — soda
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. pop — to visit
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pop — music

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