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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: bank · pitch · pound · straw · fine · foot · track · fork

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. track — a song
  9. bank — for money
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pound — a weight
  12. track — a path
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fine — all right
  17. bank — for money
  18. foot — a measure
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bank — of a river
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pitch — completely

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