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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. court — of law
  5. land — ground
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bound — certain
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bound — obliged
  16. court — of a king
  17. fall — to drop
  18. court — for sport
  19. bound — tied together
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fall — to drop

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