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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: pitch · wax · chair · leaves · bark · track · craft · bound

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. track — a song
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. craft — boats
  6. bound — certain
  7. craft — a skill
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wax — to grow
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bound — tied together
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. track — a path
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chair — a leader
  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