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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. band — a music group
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. field — farmland
  10. band — a ring
  11. bass — the fish
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. track — a path
  18. stand — to bear
  19. firm — a company
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. field — a subject
  22. bass — low music
  23. field — for sport
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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