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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: wake · track · mouse · bowl · straw · rush · pitch · game

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. game — wild animals
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. track — a path
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rush — hurry
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. game — a match
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. track — a song
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wake — before a funeral

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