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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: drill · dip · stick · lean · track · court · hand · fine

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. hand — help
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. track — to keep track
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. track — a song
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. dip — to sink
  12. drill — a practice
  13. hand — in cards
  14. court — of a king
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. court — for sport
  17. drill — army training
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lean — thin
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fine — all right
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. court — of law

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