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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.

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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 · prune · racket · fall · stand · race · board

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stand — to bear
  6. race — the arms race
  7. board — a committee
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fall — the season
  11. board — to get on
  12. track — a song
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. track — a path
  15. race — a contest
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. race — humankind
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pitch — completely
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fall — to drop

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