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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.

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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: stand · cap · bowl · pitch · racket · bark · rash · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. net — after costs
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stand — to bear
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rash — a series
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pitch — completely
  23. net — in sport
  24. bowl — a football final

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