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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: fork · dip · march · rash · bank · pitch · hide · rock

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fork — in a road
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rock — a stone
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bank — for money
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. march — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rash — a series
  17. march — the month
  18. rash — hasty
  19. march — the month
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. hide — to keep secret

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