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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cap — a hat
  6. perch — the fish
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. swing — to play on
  12. firm — steady
  13. cap — a lid
  14. tear — to rip
  15. firm — decided
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cap — of ice
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. firm — a company
  21. swing — music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. track — a path
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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