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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: pound · can · track · firm · fall · straw · cap · race

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. cap — a hat
  2. fall — the season
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cap — of ice
  6. firm — a company
  7. track — to keep track
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cap — a lid
  10. can — a tin
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. fall — to drop
  13. can — a tin
  14. race — the arms race
  15. track — a path
  16. race — humankind
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. firm — decided
  19. race — a contest
  20. pound — a weight
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. track — a song
  23. firm — steady
  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