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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: roll · lie · mark · rule · branch · track · wound · pitch

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lie — to recline
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. roll — a list
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. track — a song
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mark — a grade
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. track — a path
  18. rule — government
  19. roll — a cake
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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