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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bound — certain
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cue — a hint
  7. firm — steady
  8. bound — tied together
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. firm — decided
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bound — obliged
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cue — for pool
  15. spell — letters
  16. firm — a company
  17. capital — a city
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cue — a signal
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. capital — money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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