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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: fork · season · face · pitch · firm · bark · branch · rush

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fork — in a road
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. firm — decided
  15. branch — a division
  16. firm — steady
  17. season — in sport
  18. firm — a company
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. season — of the year
  24. face — to confront

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