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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: bay · mark · bank · pound · cue · field · pop · pitch

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bank — for money
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. field — a subject
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pop — music
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bank — for money
  13. field — for sport
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pop — soda
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. field — farmland
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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