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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. toast — bread
  5. lie — to recline
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. court — of a king
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. date — the fruit
  15. court — for sport
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. hand — help
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. hand — in cards
  23. court — of law
  24. deal — to handle

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