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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. court — of a king
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ground — the earth
  5. court — of law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ground — crushed
  9. court — for sport
  10. degree — an amount
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rule — government
  14. game — a match
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. degree — from a university
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ground — a position
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. degree — temperature
  22. rule — a law
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. game — a kind of play

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