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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: pass · rock · pitch · bank · track · court · temple · bark

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rock — a stone
  3. court — for sport
  4. bank — of a river
  5. track — to keep track
  6. court — of a king
  7. track — a path
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bank — for money
  11. rock — music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. track — a song
  23. bark — to shout
  24. court — of law

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