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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: wake · pitcher · content · track · court · march · leaves · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. track — a path
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. march — music
  7. court — of law
  8. track — a song
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. march — the month
  15. court — for sport
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. content — happy
  19. march — the month
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. track — to keep track
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. court — of a king
  24. wake — before a funeral

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