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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.

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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: field · pop · object · nail · pitch · straw · bound · stock

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. bound — certain
  6. object — an aim
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. field — a subject
  9. pop — soda
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. object — to protest
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stock — goods
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. field — for sport
  19. object — a thing
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pitch — completely
  22. field — farmland
  23. stock — shares
  24. nail — on a finger

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