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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. spring — of water
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. spring — a coil
  6. court — for sport
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. charge — in control
  9. club — for golf
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. club — for dancing
  13. spring — the season
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. charge — a price
  16. court — of a king
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. charge — electricity
  21. court — of law
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. club — a group
  24. jam — to spread on bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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