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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. court — of a king
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. dip — to sink
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. court — for sport
  10. perch — the fish
  11. capital — money
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. court — of law
  16. rest — what's left
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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