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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. club — a group
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lean — thin
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. track — a song
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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