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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: pop · wind · pitch · fan · wound · bank · bay · bark

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bank — for money
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pop — soda
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bank — for money
  24. wound — an injury

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