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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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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: foot · current · fine · mouse · straw · firm · saw · date

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. firm — decided
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. current — happening now
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. current — of water
  13. fine — high quality
  14. saw — the tool
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. firm — steady
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. foot — a measure
  21. date — the fruit
  22. current — electric
  23. saw — the tool
  24. firm — a company

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