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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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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: bark · mark · rest · lie · pitch · pit · bank · lean

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lean — thin
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pit — in a race
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rest — a break
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mark — a grade

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