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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: toast · charge · pitch · march · track · fork · spring · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. spring — a coil
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. charge — electricity
  7. toast — bread
  8. march — music
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. track — to keep track
  13. spring — the season
  14. charge — a price
  15. track — a song
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. spring — of water
  21. fork — in a road
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pitch — completely
  24. track — a path

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