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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. court — for sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. court — of law
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wake — a trail
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. roll — a cake
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. court — of a king

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