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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. race — a contest
  6. bank — for money
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rock — music
  11. race — humankind
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bank — for money
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bank — of a river

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