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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: jam · face · row · court · stick · cell · mine · dip

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cell — in biology
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. row — a line
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. face — to confront
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. court — for sport
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. court — of a king
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mine — for digging
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. court — of law
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cell — in a prison

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