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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: coach · race · pop · pitch · trunk · track · lie · pass

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. race — the arms race
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. pitch — completely
  15. race — a contest
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. race — humankind
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pop — to visit
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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