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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 120 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: rash · straw · perch · pass · saw · mouse · firm · court

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. firm — a company
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. court — of law
  7. firm — decided
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. court — for sport
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rash — a series
  13. saw — the tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. firm — steady
  19. perch — the fish
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. court — of a king
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rash — on the skin
  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