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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: track · bound · row · fall · face · prune · pitch · toast

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. row — a line
  4. face — to point toward
  5. fall — the season
  6. track — a path
  7. bound — obliged
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fall — to drop
  15. toast — bread
  16. bound — certain
  17. prune — to trim
  18. track — to keep track
  19. row — to paddle
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitch — completely
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. track — a song

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