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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stem — to come from
  3. club — a group
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. firm — steady
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bass — low music
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. firm — decided
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. club — for golf
  23. firm — a company
  24. fork — in a road

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