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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 120 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: bass · pass · track · coach · bay · deal · wake · pitch

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. deal — to handle
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bass — the fish
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. track — a path
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. track — a song
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wake — a trail

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