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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: stem · bay · coach · wake · chip · pitch · track · wave

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. track — a song
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. track — a path
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. track — to keep track

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