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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. degree — from a university
  5. court — of a king
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. court — of law
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. court — for sport
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. can — a tin

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