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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. content — the amount
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. court — of law
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. firm — decided
  11. court — of a king
  12. firm — a company
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pass — a permit
  19. content — happy
  20. firm — steady
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. straw — dry grass
  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