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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. court — of law
  3. key — in music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. key — for a lock
  8. date — the fruit
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. key — the most important part
  11. court — for sport
  12. snap — to click
  13. bass — low music
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. bass — the fish
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. deal — to handle
  19. dip — to sink
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. court — of a king
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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