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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. court — of law
  3. mark — a trace
  4. firm — a company
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cold — an illness
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. firm — steady
  16. pit — a hole
  17. swing — to play on
  18. court — of a king
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mark — a grade
  21. firm — decided
  22. court — for sport
  23. cold — not warm
  24. pit — in a race

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