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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 120 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. band — a ring
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. track — a song
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. content — happy
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. track — to keep track
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. band — a music group
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. firm — a company
  15. content — the amount
  16. prune — to trim
  17. firm — decided
  18. foot — a measure
  19. firm — steady
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. track — a path

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