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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 120 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 · fall · bark · mug · last · squash · bank · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. last — final
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bank — for money
  10. mug — a face
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. firm — steady
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bank — for money

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