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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. scale — size or range
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. scale — in music
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. court — of law
  16. mark — a grade
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. snap — to click
  20. rule — government
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stand — to bear
  23. field — a subject
  24. stand — for spectators

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