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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: track · file · lean · toast · mate · suit · pitch · perch

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. file — a document
  7. suit — clothes
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lean — thin
  11. file — a tool
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mate — a friend
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. toast — bread
  22. mate — to breed
  23. suit — in cards
  24. perch — the fish

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