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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stand — to bear
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bank — of a river
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pitch — completely

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