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

Word bank: bay · plane · field · court · straw · jam · toast · club

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. court — of law
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. field — a subject
  11. court — for sport
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. club — for dancing
  15. plane — a tool
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. toast — bread
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

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