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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. staff — a stick
  3. court — of law
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. staff — employees
  6. field — for sport
  7. mark — a trace
  8. net — for catching
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. field — a subject
  13. net — in sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. staff — employees
  16. court — for sport
  17. band — a music group
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. net — after costs
  20. mark — a grade
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. field — farmland

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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