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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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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: wave · pop · stick · last · bay · mark · court · toast

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. court — of law
  3. last — final
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. toast — bread
  7. court — for sport
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pop — music
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. last — to go on
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mark — a trace
  21. last — finally
  22. court — of a king
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mark — a grade

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