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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.

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: row · branch · spell · pitch · snap · safe · bark · fine

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bark — to shout
  5. snap — to click
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. spell — letters
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. branch — a division
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fine — all right
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. row — a line
  16. pitch — completely
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. row — to paddle
  24. spell — magic

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