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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 120 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: pound · net · temple · mark · pitch · club · track · lean

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. net — in sport
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. net — after costs
  12. lean — to bend
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lean — thin
  15. pound — a weight
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pitch — completely
  20. net — for catching
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mark — a grade
  24. club — for dancing

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