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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. court — for sport
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mug — a face
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bulb — for light
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mate — a partner
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bound — certain
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bound — tied together
  24. court — of law

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