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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. suit — to fit
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. net — in sport
  5. track — a path
  6. court — for sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. land — to come down
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. land — a country
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — after costs
  15. track — to keep track
  16. suit — in cards
  17. land — ground
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. dip — to sink
  20. suit — clothes
  21. court — of law
  22. net — for catching
  23. court — of a king
  24. track — a song

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