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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. dip — to sink
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rash — a series
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cue — a signal
  7. court — of law
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. kick — in football
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cue — for pool
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rash — hasty
  20. cue — a hint
  21. court — for sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rash — on the skin

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