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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. court — of a king
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pop — music
  8. court — of law
  9. date — the fruit
  10. scale — in music
  11. sharp — clever
  12. tube — a container
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pop — to visit
  16. scale — size or range
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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