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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: roll · chest · pitch · rash · lean · foot · present · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. present — a gift
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. chest — of your body
  9. present — the time now
  10. rash — hasty
  11. track — a path
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rash — a series
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lean — thin
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. present — there
  18. roll — a list
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. roll — a cake
  21. chest — a box
  22. lean — to bend
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. track — to keep track

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