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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. clip — for paper
  4. board — to get on
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. suit — in cards
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. board — a committee
  14. dip — to sink
  15. clip — a video
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. root — of a word
  18. court — for sport
  19. root — the cause
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. root — of a plant
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rash — hasty

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