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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: object · last · track · chest · march · pitch · dip · board

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. march — music
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. march — the month
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. object — an aim
  8. pitch — completely
  9. object — a thing
  10. march — the month
  11. board — a committee
  12. track — a path
  13. last — to go on
  14. chest — of your body
  15. dip — to sink
  16. chest — a box
  17. last — final
  18. chest — of your body
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. object — to protest
  23. board — to get on
  24. last — finally

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