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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. track — a song
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. court — of law
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bound — certain
  12. court — of a king
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. bass — low music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bound — obliged
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bass — the fish
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. court — for sport

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