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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · ball · track · straw · pass · pound · wave · coach

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pound — a weight
  3. track — a song
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. track — a path
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pass — a permit

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