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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. suit — to fit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. ball — a great time
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. track — a song
  12. perch — the fish
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. track — to keep track
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. track — a path
  24. ball — a dance

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