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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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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: fine · track · straw · bark · net · press · pitch · season

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. net — after costs
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. net — for catching
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. press — to push
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. track — a song
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fine — high quality
  21. track — a path
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. net — in sport

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