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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. court — of a king
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mine — for digging
  5. court — of law
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. track — a path
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. track — a song
  14. court — for sport
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bass — the fish
  18. track — to keep track
  19. saw — the tool
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bass — low music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. saw — the tool
  24. dip — to sink

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