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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. present — a gift
  3. dip — to sink
  4. court — of law
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. court — of a king
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. lie — to recline
  18. present — there
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. can — to be able to
  22. present — the time now
  23. stock — shares
  24. court — for sport

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