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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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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bass — low music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. key — in music
  5. firm — decided
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. firm — steady
  9. staff — employees
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. staff — employees
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. key — the most important part
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. firm — a company
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fork — in a road
  21. kick — in football
  22. bass — the fish
  23. key — for a lock
  24. kick — with a leg

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