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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. staff — employees
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. staff — a stick
  12. court — for sport
  13. content — the amount
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. can — a tin
  16. staff — employees
  17. can — a tin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mark — a trace
  20. court — of law
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. can — to be able to
  24. board — a flat piece

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