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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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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: firm · snap · key · wake · tear · pitch · kid · track

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. track — a path
  3. key — in music
  4. kid — to tease
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. key — for a lock
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. firm — decided
  9. key — the most important part
  10. firm — steady
  11. wake — a trail
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pitch — completely
  14. firm — a company
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. snap — to click
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. tear — from crying
  19. track — to keep track
  20. kid — child
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. track — a song
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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