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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. ground — a position
  4. rest — what's left
  5. court — of a king
  6. rush — hurry
  7. swing — music
  8. staff — employees
  9. track — a path
  10. ground — the earth
  11. court — of law
  12. ground — crushed
  13. swing — to play on
  14. staff — a stick
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. swing — in golf
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. court — for sport
  23. rest — a break
  24. staff — employees

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