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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: staff · last · leaves · mine · track · perch · stick · pitch

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. track — to keep track
  4. last — final
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pitch — completely
  7. track — a song
  8. last — to go on
  9. staff — a stick
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. last — finally
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mine — for digging
  22. perch — the fish
  23. track — a path
  24. leaves — to go away

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