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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. court — of a king
  4. perch — the fish
  5. toast — bread
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. band — a ring
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rock — music
  19. court — for sport
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. charge — in control
  22. court — of law
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. band — a music group

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