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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: racket · track · stand · chest · straw · perch · march · safe

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chest — of your body
  3. march — music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. track — a song
  8. chest — a box
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stand — to bear
  16. track — to keep track
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — a path
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stand — for spectators

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