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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. court — of a king
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. band — a music group
  5. mate — a partner
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. mate — to breed
  8. march — the month
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. object — a thing
  11. rush — hurry
  12. object — an aim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. band — a ring
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. march — the month
  18. object — to protest
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mate — a friend
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. march — music

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