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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.

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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: rock · branch · pound · pitch · firm · sharp · wake · lean

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. firm — a company
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. firm — decided
  10. wake — a trail
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. firm — steady
  16. rock — music
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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