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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. court — of a king
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. march — the month
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. track — a path
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. court — of law
  9. charge — electricity
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. court — for sport
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cold — an illness
  17. march — the month
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. march — music
  21. track — a song
  22. cold — not warm
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. track — to keep track

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