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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 116 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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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 · pound · pit · nail · bay · pitch · ball · shower

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pitch — completely
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. ball — a great time
  17. shower — rain
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. nail — on a finger

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