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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: wind · branch · bark · snap · pitch · file · bay · ruler

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. snap — to click
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. file — a document
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wind — moving air
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wind — moving air
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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