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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: bore · nail · ground · track · coach · pitch · lie · bass

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bore — to tire
  4. track — a song
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. track — a path
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. ground — a position
  22. bass — low music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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