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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · track · pitch · last · game · plane · wake · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. plane — a tool
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. last — final
  17. wake — a trail
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pit — a hole
  21. track — a song
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. track — a path

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