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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. court — of a king
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. press — newspapers
  7. scale — in music
  8. plane — a tool
  9. court — for sport
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. court — of law
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. track — a path
  14. scale — size or range
  15. press — to push
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. press — a publisher
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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