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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: branch · court · pitcher · pitch · file · rush · hide · bark

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. file — a document
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. branch — a division
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. court — of a king
  11. rush — hurry
  12. file — a tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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