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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: mark · date · bark · pop · pitch · plane · stand · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pop — music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pop — soda
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. date — the fruit
  18. track — to keep track
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. track — a song
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stand — to bear

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