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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. net — for catching
  3. court — for sport
  4. snap — to click
  5. net — after costs
  6. present — there
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. club — for dancing
  9. court — of a king
  10. present — a gift
  11. club — for golf
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rest — a break
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. firm — decided
  16. rest — what's left
  17. firm — a company
  18. club — a group
  19. rest — what's left
  20. present — the time now
  21. court — of law
  22. net — in sport
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. firm — steady

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