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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: bay · pitch · mine · prune · foot · board · track · cue

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. track — a path
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. board — to get on
  8. mine — for digging
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pitch — completely
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. track — a song
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. board — a committee
  20. cue — a signal
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cue — for pool

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