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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cap — a lid
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rock — music
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cap — a hat
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rock — a stone
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cap — of ice
  24. court — of law

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