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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · fan · mark · track · drill · firm · straw · pitch

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. drill — a practice
  6. firm — a company
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. track — a path
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. perch — the fish
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pitch — completely
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. firm — steady
  20. track — a song
  21. drill — army training
  22. track — to keep track
  23. firm — decided
  24. straw — dry grass

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