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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. court — of a king
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. court — for sport
  5. firm — decided
  6. branch — a division
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. season — of the year
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. firm — steady
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. court — of law
  23. season — in sport
  24. straw — a straw man

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