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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. present — there
  3. charge — in control
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mug — a face
  6. court — for sport
  7. charge — electricity
  8. court — of law
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. court — of a king
  11. present — the time now
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cue — for pool
  14. present — a gift
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. cue — a signal
  19. field — a subject
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cue — a hint
  24. charge — a price

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