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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — there
  5. charge — in control
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. court — of law
  10. band — a ring
  11. charge — electricity
  12. band — a music group
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bank — of a river
  18. charge — a price
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. craft — a skill
  21. present — a gift
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bank — for money

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