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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: leaves · can · face · sharp · pitcher · track · bark · coach

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. can — a tin
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. face — part of the head
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. face — to confront
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. can — a tin
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — to shout
  23. face — to point toward
  24. can — to be able to

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