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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · mark · pitch · branch · track · dip · snap · mate

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. snap — to click
  4. mark — a trace
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pitch — completely
  9. branch — a division
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mate — a partner
  12. track — a path
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mate — a friend
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mate — to breed
  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