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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · court · bear · cue · pit · straw · cabinet · track

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bear — the animal
  5. court — of law
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. court — of a king
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — a path
  18. court — for sport
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cue — a signal
  23. track — a song
  24. straw — dry grass

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