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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: board · track · tube · mark · fall · firm · branch · pitch

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pitch — completely
  5. board — a committee
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. board — to get on
  8. fall — to drop
  9. branch — a division
  10. fall — the season
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. firm — decided
  15. tube — a container
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tube — the underground
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. firm — steady

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