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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. season — in sport
  4. fall — to drop
  5. dip — to sink
  6. court — of a king
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. court — for sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bound — obliged
  11. court — of law
  12. degree — an amount
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fall — the season
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bound — tied together
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. season — of the year
  24. dip — a sauce

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