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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitch · leaves · toast · clip · bank · lean · bark · ball

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. toast — bread
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. clip — a video
  5. bank — for money
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bank — of a river
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bank — for money
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. ball — a great time
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitch — completely
  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