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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 120 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: track · straw · saw · bay · pitch · fork · bear · bulb

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. track — a path
  3. bear — the animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. track — a song
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fork — in a road
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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