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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: stick · toast · track · pitch · march · wake · rock · branch

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. track — a song
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. march — the month
  7. track — a path
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pitch — completely
  10. branch — a division
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. march — the month
  17. rock — music
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wake — a trail
  23. toast — bread
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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