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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: lie · track · arm · key · bass · dip · court · land

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. key — in music
  4. court — of a king
  5. land — to come down
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. track — a path
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. land — ground
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. court — of law
  14. bass — the fish
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lie — to recline
  17. land — a country
  18. court — for sport
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. track — a song
  24. bass — low music

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