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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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. court — of law
  3. row — a line
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ground — crushed
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. spring — of water
  9. ground — a position
  10. court — of a king
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. ground — the earth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spring — the season
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mark — a grade
  24. court — for sport

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