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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: ball · bark · pitch · rash · can · bank · degree · bay

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pitch — completely
  12. degree — an amount
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rash — a series
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bank — for money
  24. bay — a horse colour

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