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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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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. court — of a king
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. game — a match
  7. court — of law
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. track — a path
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. dip — to sink
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wake — a trail
  19. tube — the underground
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. track — a song

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