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

Word bank: staff · bay · racket · cap · straw · bore · stick · firm

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. firm — a company
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bore — to drill
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. firm — decided
  14. staff — employees
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. staff — a stick
  18. firm — steady
  19. staff — employees
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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