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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. court — of a king
  5. bank — of a river
  6. court — for sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. court — of law
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bank — for money
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pop — music
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pop — soda
  18. tube — a container
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pop — to visit
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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