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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. row — a line
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. swing — music
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. court — of law
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. face — to point toward
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. court — for sport
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. face — part of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. face — to confront
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. row — to paddle
  24. swing — in golf

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