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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: mug · stand · fork · last · track · pitch · shower · trunk

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. track — a path
  3. last — to go on
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. last — finally
  13. shower — to wash
  14. last — final
  15. track — a song
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pitch — completely
  18. track — to keep track
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mug — to rob
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mug — a face

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