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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. object — a thing
  3. rush — hurry
  4. degree — from a university
  5. court — of law
  6. land — to come down
  7. object — to protest
  8. suit — clothes
  9. court — of a king
  10. charge — electricity
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. charge — in control
  14. land — a country
  15. degree — an amount
  16. land — ground
  17. charge — a price
  18. court — for sport
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. object — an aim
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. degree — temperature

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