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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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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 · bark · pitch · hand · fine · deal · bay · root

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. root — of a word
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fine — all right
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pitch — completely
  13. root — the cause
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fine — high quality
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. branch — a division
  22. hand — help
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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