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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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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 · pass · track · pitch · bark · mate · pound · tear

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. track — a song
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. track — a path
  19. mark — a trace
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pass — a permit
  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