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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: ball · pitch · track · root · patient · mark · bark · bore

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. root — of a word
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ball — a dance
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ball — a great time
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bark — to shout
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. root — the cause
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. patient — a sick person

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