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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. firm — decided
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pitch — completely
  6. shower — rain
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. firm — steady
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bass — low music
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. perch — the fish
  15. dip — to sink
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cap — a lid
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. shower — to wash
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. firm — a company
  24. bass — the fish

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