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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 120 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 · mug · rule · pitch · branch · bark · squash · bass

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rock — a stone
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rule — a law
  8. branch — a division
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mug — a face
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rock — music
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bass — the fish
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. squash — the 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