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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: pitcher · nail · field · racket · stick · bear · straw · rest

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rest — what's left
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. field — a subject
  14. rest — a break
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rest — what's left
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. field — farmland
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. field — for 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