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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. deal — to handle
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mug — a cup
  8. court — for sport
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. court — of law
  12. mug — a face
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. court — of a king
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. toast — bread
  22. game — wild animals
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bowl — a dish

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