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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: track · pitch · trunk · bat · pitcher · mark · pass · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. track — a song
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. track — a path
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bat — the animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. track — to keep track
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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