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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bank — for money
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. spell — magic
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bank — of a river
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spell — letters
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  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