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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. track — a song
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bass — low music
  7. track — to keep track
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stem — to come from
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. firm — steady
  20. bass — the fish
  21. firm — a company
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. track — a path
  24. cabinet — ministers

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