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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 116 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: board · bear · court · content · bay · shower · straw · mug

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. content — the amount
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mug — to rob
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. content — happy
  12. board — to get on
  13. shower — rain
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. shower — to wash
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. court — for sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. mug — a face

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