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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: pitch · scale · bank · date · fine · land · cabinet · bark

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bank — for money
  4. bark — to shout
  5. land — a country
  6. fine — high quality
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bank — of a river
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fine — all right
  14. scale — in music
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. land — to come down
  19. scale — size or range
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. land — ground
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bank — for money

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