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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rock — music
  4. rush — hurry
  5. hand — help
  6. court — for sport
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. hand — in cards
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. court — of law
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. capital — a city
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. court — of a king
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pass — a permit
  21. capital — money
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. date — on the calendar

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