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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. present — there
  7. court — of a king
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tube — the underground
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. present — the time now
  14. mark — a grade
  15. tube — a container
  16. perch — the fish
  17. court — of law
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mark — a trace
  20. present — a gift
  21. pop — soda
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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