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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. key — the most important part
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. court — of a king
  5. tube — a container
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cap — a lid
  8. track — a path
  9. key — in music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cap — a hat
  12. track — to keep track
  13. tube — the underground
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. track — a song
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. court — of law
  18. dip — to sink
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — for sport
  24. chair — a leader

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