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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: pit · mate · bark · chest · wake · arm · suit · track

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pit — a hole
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. suit — to fit
  16. track — a path
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bark — to shout
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. chest — a box
  24. mate — to breed

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