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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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 law
  4. mark — a grade
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. net — for catching
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. toast — bread
  11. net — in sport
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bank — for money
  17. net — after costs
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. dip — to sink
  21. hand — help
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bank — for money
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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