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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: cap · pitch · bark · wind · kick · toast · bank · branch

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. bark — to shout
  3. toast — bread
  4. bank — for money
  5. wind — moving air
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bank — for money
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wind — moving air
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cap — a hat
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. branch — a division
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pitch — completely
  22. kick — in football
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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