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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. court — of a king
  3. bound — tied together
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. firm — steady
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bound — obliged
  10. court — of law
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bound — certain
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. board — a committee
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — a division
  20. board — to get on
  21. court — for sport
  22. firm — decided
  23. can — a tin
  24. firm — a company

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