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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. ball — a great time
  5. court — of a king
  6. current — electric
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. season — in sport
  9. current — of water
  10. band — a music group
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. can — a tin
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. band — a ring
  18. can — to be able to
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. season — of the year
  22. current — happening now
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rush — to hurry

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