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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · dip · key · row · spell · cue · court · date

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. spell — a short time
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rash — a series
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. court — of a king
  16. date — the fruit
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. court — for sport
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. spell — letters
  21. row — a line
  22. court — of law
  23. dip — to sink
  24. spell — magic

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