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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stem · pitch · firm · tube · bat · face · arm

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. face — to confront
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. track — to keep track
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. firm — steady
  13. pitch — completely
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bat — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. track — a path
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. tube — a container
  24. stem — to come from

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