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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. tube — a container
  7. track — a path
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fine — all right
  10. court — of a king
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. season — of the year
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. track — a song
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. track — to keep track
  18. tube — the underground
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fine — high quality
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. court — for sport
  24. nail — for a hammer

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