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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mate — a partner
  3. dip — to sink
  4. court — of law
  5. club — a group
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. club — for golf
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mate — a friend
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. court — for sport
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. hand — help
  18. mate — to breed
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. court — of a king
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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