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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bass — the fish
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pound — a weight
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bass — low music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stand — to bear
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pound — for dogs

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