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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: perch · racket · mouse · bay · straw · band · pit · staff

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pit — in a race
  5. staff — employees
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. staff — a stick
  12. band — a ring
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. pit — a hole
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a music group
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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