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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. court — for sport
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. track — to keep track
  6. shower — rain
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. track — a path
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. court — of law
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. track — a song
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. shower — to wash
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. court — of a king
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. dip — to sink
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mouse — the animal

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