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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · content · track · spring · bat · saw · pitch · hide

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — of water
  4. bat — the animal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. content — the amount
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pitch — completely
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. spring — the season
  18. track — a path
  19. saw — the tool
  20. content — happy
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. track — a song
  24. pitch — a sports field

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