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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pit — in a race
  7. court — for sport
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fork — in a road
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. mug — a cup
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. chair — a leader
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mug — a face
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. chair — to sit on

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