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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. sharp — clever
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. field — farmland
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. suit — to fit
  12. field — for sport
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. suit — in cards
  17. court — of a king
  18. field — a subject
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wind — moving air
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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