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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: staff · hand · leaves · track · mark · present · pitch · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mark — a trace
  3. track — a path
  4. present — the time now
  5. staff — employees
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cap — a hat
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. staff — a stick
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. staff — employees
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pitch — completely
  16. hand — help
  17. present — there
  18. cap — a lid
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mark — a grade

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