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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · pitch · bark · scale · hand · row · chair · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bark — to shout
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. hand — help
  13. scale — in music
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. branch — a division
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. hand — in cards
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pitch — completely
  24. row — a line

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