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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.

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: march · pitch · wound · bark · plane · saw · prune · present

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. present — the time now
  4. wound — an injury
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. march — the month
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. present — there
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. march — music
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. saw — the tool
  20. plane — a tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. march — the month
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. present — a gift

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