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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 116 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: calf · pitch · bass · sharp · bound · straw · spell · fork

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. spell — magic
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. spell — letters
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bass — the fish
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bass — low music
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. spell — a short time
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bass — the instrument

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