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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: straw · pitch · rock · fork · pound · ball · pass · pitcher

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rock — music
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pound — a weight
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pass — to spend time

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