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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 · bank · capital · craft · deal · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bank — for money
  3. capital — money
  4. bark — to shout
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitch — completely
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. capital — a city
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. capital — a big letter

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