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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. face — to confront
  3. court — of a king
  4. pound — a weight
  5. swing — music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. swing — to play on
  8. stock — goods
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. march — music
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. dip — to sink
  13. court — for sport
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. swing — in golf
  17. march — the month
  18. court — of law
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stock — shares
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. march — the month
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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