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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: sharp · pitcher · mark · rush · track · bat · press · wake

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. track — a song
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. press — to push
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mark — a grade
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pitcher — a jug

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