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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. can — a tin
  5. spell — magic
  6. court — of law
  7. can — a tin
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. spell — a short time
  10. dip — to sink
  11. can — to be able to
  12. race — the arms race
  13. court — of a king
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bound — certain
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. spell — letters
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. race — humankind
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. court — for sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bound — tied together

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