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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: pound · mouse · bark · bank · charge · mate · pitch · bat

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. charge — in control
  6. bank — for money
  7. charge — a price
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bank — for money
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pitch — a sports field

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