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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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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: fine · branch · rest · bank · deal · fall · bark · pitch

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rest — what's left
  8. branch — a division
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bank — for money
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fine — all right
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. rest — a break
  23. fall — the season
  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