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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. race — humankind
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. race — a contest
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. firm — steady
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. firm — decided
  12. drill — army training
  13. firm — a company
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. race — the arms race
  19. perch — the fish
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. straw — a straw man

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