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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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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: mark · cue · game · board · cold · bay · dip · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cue — for pool
  6. game — a match
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cold — an illness
  11. board — a committee
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. court — for sport
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. court — of a king
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cue — a signal
  24. dip — to sink

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