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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: toast · pitch · bay · patient · bark · bank · sharp · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. toast — bread
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bank — for money
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. track — a path
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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