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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. swing — music
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lean — to bend
  7. race — a contest
  8. lean — thin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fine — high quality
  12. court — for sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. swing — in golf
  15. court — of a king
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fine — all right
  18. court — of law
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. race — humankind
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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