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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. branch — a division
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rash — a series
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rash — hasty
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. firm — a company
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. firm — steady
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. game — wild animals

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