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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. pop — soda
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pop — music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cue — for pool
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. pop — to visit
  11. hand — in cards
  12. court — of law
  13. rest — what's left
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. object — an aim
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rest — a break
  23. date — the fruit
  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