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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. suit — clothes
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. file — a line of people
  8. band — a ring
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. suit — in cards
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. file — a document
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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