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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bank — for money
  3. court — of law
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. chair — a leader
  6. court — for sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. date — the fruit
  9. club — for dancing
  10. court — of a king
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bank — of a river
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. can — to be able to
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. can — a tin
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. can — a tin
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chair — a professorship

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