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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. court — for sport
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. fine — high quality
  12. court — of law
  13. snap — to click
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. fine — all right
  17. dip — to sink
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. face — to confront
  20. stand — to bear
  21. court — of a king
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. dip — a sauce

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