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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: toast · chip · pitch · season · rock · pound · cue · track

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. toast — bread
  3. rock — a stone
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cue — a hint
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rock — music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. season — in sport
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. track — to keep track
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. season — to add flavour

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