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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: fan · wave · charge · straw · track · pop · pitch · prune

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. charge — in control
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pop — music
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. charge — a price
  9. track — a path
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. track — a song
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pop — soda
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pop — to visit
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pitch — completely
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. track — to keep track

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