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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 · march · ground · racket · leaves · bay · chip · arm

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. march — the month
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. track — to keep track
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. ground — crushed
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. chip — to eat
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. ground — a position
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ground — the earth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. chip — for betting

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