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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: track · mug · pitch · straw · bank · field · calf · rest

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mug — a cup
  3. field — for sport
  4. rest — a break
  5. field — farmland
  6. mug — a face
  7. rest — what's left
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. field — a subject
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. track — to keep track
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitch — completely
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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