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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mug — a face
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. dip — to sink
  13. court — of a king
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mug — a cup
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mug — to rob
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. court — of law
  24. suit — in cards

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