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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 120 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: hand · pitcher · pitch · fork · saw · track · stick · rush

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. fork — in a road
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rush — hurry
  8. hand — help
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — completely
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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