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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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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: row · calf · current · staff · chip · pitch · net · bark

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. staff — employees
  4. row — to paddle
  5. net — for catching
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. chip — to eat
  9. current — electric
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bark — to shout
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chip — for betting
  24. staff — employees

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