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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: rock · ball · cabinet · bark · lean · tear · pitch · bank

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. lean — thin
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rock — music
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rock — a stone
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bank — for money
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ball — a dance
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ball — a round shape

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