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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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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: racket · straw · pitch · foot · tube · fork · key · prune

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. tube — the underground
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. key — for a lock

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