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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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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pit — in a race
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. suit — to fit
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pit — a hole
  10. club — for dancing
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. club — a group
  13. chest — a box
  14. club — for golf
  15. spring — a coil
  16. chest — of your body
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chest — of your body
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. straw — dry grass

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