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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: pitch · ball · bank · firm · face · land · bound · branch

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. pitch — completely
  4. face — to confront
  5. bound — certain
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bank — for money
  11. land — ground
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ball — a great time
  15. firm — decided
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. land — to come down
  18. face — part of the head
  19. land — a country
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. branch — a division
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bank — for money

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