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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. track — a path
  7. mug — a cup
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. firm — steady
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — of law
  12. board — a committee
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. firm — decided
  17. dip — to sink
  18. court — for sport
  19. firm — a company
  20. track — a song
  21. mug — a face
  22. court — of a king
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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