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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. deal — to handle
  4. root — the cause
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. branch — a division
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pitch — completely
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bark — to shout

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