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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. spell — a short time
  4. dip — to sink
  5. court — of a king
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. spell — letters
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spell — magic
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. field — for sport
  13. scale — in music
  14. field — a subject
  15. row — to paddle
  16. court — for sport
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. scale — size or range
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. field — farmland
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. row — a line
  24. court — of law

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