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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. court — of law
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pop — soda
  8. court — for sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pop — music
  13. stock — goods
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. mark — a grade
  18. squash — the sport
  19. capital — money
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pop — to visit
  23. court — of a king
  24. stock — shares

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