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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spell — letters
  8. date — the fruit
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. swing — in golf
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. swing — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. court — of a king
  19. fine — high quality
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. spell — magic
  23. fine — all right
  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