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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. court — for sport
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bass — low music
  8. club — a group
  9. spell — magic
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. spell — letters
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. track — to keep track
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. spell — a short time
  18. court — of law
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. club — for golf
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pound — a weight

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