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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: content · foot · court · mouse · kid · toast · straw · firm

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. kid — child
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. firm — decided
  8. toast — bread
  9. firm — steady
  10. content — the amount
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. content — happy
  15. firm — a company
  16. court — of a king
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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