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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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. court — of a king
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rule — a law
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. court — for sport
  12. rule — government
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. dip — to sink
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. court — of law

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