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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. suit — to fit
  7. chair — a leader
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — a lid
  10. track — a path
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cap — a hat
  15. suit — in cards
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. track — to keep track
  23. perch — the fish
  24. track — a song

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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