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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. track — a song
  5. bank — for money
  6. board — to get on
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mug — a face
  10. last — final
  11. track — a path
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mug — to rob
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bank — for money
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. last — to go on
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mug — a cup
  21. board — a committee
  22. last — finally
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bank — of a river

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