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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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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: pitcher · bark · net · patient · pound · mark · bank · branch

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. bark — to shout
  9. net — for catching
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bank — for money
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. branch — a division
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mark — a grade
  24. net — in sport

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