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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. track — a song
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chair — a leader
  8. dip — to sink
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. track — a path
  14. court — for sport
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. hand — in cards
  17. court — of a king
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pit — a hole
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. court — of law
  23. pit — in a race
  24. hand — help

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