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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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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 · chair · craft · deal · coach · toast · temple · pitch

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. craft — boats
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pitch — completely
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bark — to shout
  10. toast — bread
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. deal — to handle
  20. craft — a skill
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chair — to sit on

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