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

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bank — for money
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bark — to shout
  18. board — to get on
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. can — a tin
  21. board — a committee
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. face — to confront

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