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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bank — for money
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. net — for catching
  11. court — of law
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. net — in sport
  16. bore — to tire
  17. court — of a king
  18. net — after costs
  19. court — for sport
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bore — to drill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bank — of a river

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