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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. court — for sport
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. face — to point toward
  10. court — of a king
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. kick — in football
  13. face — to confront
  14. ball — a dance
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ball — a great time
  17. face — part of the head
  18. kick — a thrill

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