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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. court — of law
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. file — a line of people
  8. court — of a king
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. file — a document
  11. ball — a great time
  12. dip — to sink
  13. file — a tool
  14. rest — a break
  15. court — for sport
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bowl — a dish

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