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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · branch · can · bark · court · key · pitch · face

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. key — for a lock
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pitch — completely
  7. court — for sport
  8. key — in music
  9. court — of law
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bark — to shout
  12. can — a tin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. can — to be able to
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — of a king
  17. can — a tin
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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