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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 116 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: plane · land · branch · can · bowl · pitch · march · bark

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. march — the month
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. march — music
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. land — to come down
  13. pitch — completely
  14. can — a tin
  15. land — a country
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. march — the month
  22. can — a tin
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. land — ground

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