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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. court — of law
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. kid — child
  10. ground — a position
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. ground — the earth
  14. charge — electricity
  15. ground — crushed
  16. court — of a king
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. court — for sport
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kid — to tease

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