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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pop — soda
  3. court — of a king
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. squash — to crush
  6. court — for sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. firm — decided
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. firm — steady
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. court — of law
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — to visit
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pop — music

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