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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pop — soda
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pop — to visit
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. firm — a company
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. firm — decided
  15. track — a path
  16. pop — music
  17. track — a song
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. track — to keep track
  20. perch — the fish
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. perch — for a bird

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