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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: court · ball · dip · content · bay · shower · wake · lean

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. ball — a great time
  8. content — happy
  9. court — for sport
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lean — thin
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. court — of law
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. shower — to wash
  19. content — the amount
  20. shower — rain
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. court — of a king

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