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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.

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: season · race · bank · leaves · bark · bulb · pitch · wake

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bank — for money
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bank — for money
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. season — in sport
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. race — the arms race

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