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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bound — tied together
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. court — of a king
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bass — low music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. dip — to sink
  12. court — of law
  13. rest — a break
  14. bound — certain
  15. bass — the fish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rest — what's left
  21. court — for sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. hand — help

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