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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. track — a path
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fine — all right
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. court — of law
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. court — for sport
  18. track — a song
  19. court — of a king
  20. mate — a friend
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. straw — dry grass

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