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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. court — of a king
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. court — for sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. swing — music
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. swing — to play on
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. current — electric
  14. march — the month
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. court — of law
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. swing — in golf
  19. current — of water
  20. toast — bread
  21. current — happening now
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. march — music
  24. straw — a straw man

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