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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ball — a great time
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. court — of law
  6. saw — the tool
  7. court — of a king
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ball — a dance
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. court — for sport
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rush — to hurry

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