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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: track · can · pitch · bark · branch · scale · mark · capital

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. can — to be able to
  3. scale — in music
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — a grade
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. track — a path
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. track — a song
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pitch — completely
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bark — to shout

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