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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: wound · rock · key · straw · track · pitcher · field · firm

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rock — a stone
  3. field — for sport
  4. wound — an injury
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. firm — steady
  16. rock — music
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. firm — a company
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. firm — decided
  23. wound — an injury
  24. straw — a straw man

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