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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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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: spring · pitch · last · coach · track · firm · game · board

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. firm — decided
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spring — a coil
  5. last — to go on
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. board — a committee
  9. last — finally
  10. board — to get on
  11. firm — a company
  12. game — a match
  13. firm — steady
  14. spring — of water
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pitch — completely
  17. spring — the season
  18. last — final
  19. game — wild animals
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. track — a path

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