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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. current — happening now
  6. spell — a short time
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. current — electric
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. court — of law
  18. current — of water
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spell — magic
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. spell — letters

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