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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. court — of law
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. swing — music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. swing — to play on
  12. court — of a king
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. can — a tin
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. can — a tin
  23. mate — a partner
  24. court — for sport

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