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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 116 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 · bark · bank · row · board · rush · race · current

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. row — a line
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bank — of a river
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. race — humankind
  9. board — to get on
  10. rush — hurry
  11. current — electric
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. current — of water
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. current — happening now
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. row — to paddle
  20. race — a contest
  21. board — a committee
  22. bank — for money
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pitch — completely

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