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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pop — soda
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. key — in music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. can — a tin
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pop — music
  15. court — of law
  16. pass — a permit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — for sport
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. hand — help
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. court — of a king
  24. hand — in cards

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