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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. court — of a king
  3. roll — a list
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cue — for pool
  6. track — a path
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bore — to drill
  9. vault — a safe
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. court — of law
  12. pop — to visit
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cue — a signal
  15. court — for sport
  16. cue — a hint
  17. roll — a cake
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. bore — to tire
  23. track — a song
  24. bore — gave birth

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