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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mate — to breed
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mate — a partner
  5. court — of a king
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rest — a break
  9. craft — boats
  10. bear — the animal
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. track — a path
  15. mate — a friend
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. track — a song
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rest — what's left
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. court — for sport
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — the animal

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