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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · hide · coach · court · pop · field · plane · squash

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — to visit
  6. field — for sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pop — music
  9. court — of a king
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pop — soda
  16. court — of law
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. field — a subject
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. field — farmland
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. plane — a tool
  24. court — for sport

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