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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · season · racket · pitch · leaves · track · lean · pop

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pop — to visit
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lean — thin
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pop — music
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. season — in sport
  19. track — a path
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pop — soda
  23. season — of the year
  24. track — a song

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