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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cue — a hint
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. court — of law
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. cue — for pool
  14. court — for sport
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. toast — bread
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cue — a signal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pound — a weight
  23. court — of a king
  24. tube — a container

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