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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · rule · pitch · season · track · rash · toast · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rule — a law
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. track — a song
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. track — a path
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rash — hasty
  16. season — in sport
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rash — a series
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. season — of the year
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — bread
  24. rule — government

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