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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: sharp · bound · bank · pit · pitch · roll · track · season

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. pit — a hole
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bank — of a river
  8. season — of the year
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. roll — a list
  15. bank — for money
  16. track — a path
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bound — tied together
  21. sharp — clever
  22. season — in sport
  23. pit — in a race
  24. sharp — exactly

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