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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: last · rash · spell · mark · pitch · dip · branch · toast

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mark — a trace
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. branch — a division
  6. toast — bread
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rash — a series
  18. spell — magic
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. last — final
  23. spell — letters
  24. mark — to pay attention

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