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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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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: bark · bank · capital · craft · deal · pitch · face · stand

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. face — to point toward
  3. capital — money
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stand — to bear
  8. craft — boats
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. deal — to handle
  13. face — part of the head
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. capital — a city
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bank — of a river
  20. craft — a skill
  21. face — to confront
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. craft — a handicraft

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