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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: firm · bark · branch · shower · foot · fall · pitch · can

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bark — to shout
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. branch — a division
  6. firm — a company
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fall — the season
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — a measure
  15. firm — steady
  16. fall — to drop
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pitch — completely
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. can — a tin
  22. firm — decided
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bark — of a tree

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