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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spring — of water
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cue — a signal
  17. spring — the season
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mark — a grade
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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