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

Word bank: pitch · track · wake · fall · chest · bay · deal · mark

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fall — the season
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mark — a grade
  12. track — a song
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. track — a path
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chest — a box
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mark — a trace
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chest — of your body

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