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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 · net · field · wax · toast · straw · sharp · pitch

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. field — farmland
  6. track — a song
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. net — in sport
  9. wax — to grow
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pitch — completely
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. field — for sport
  20. toast — bread
  21. sharp — clever
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. field — a subject
  24. sharp — exactly

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