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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: pop · game · dip · suit · bowl · court · mug · perch

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. game — a match
  6. suit — to fit
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. suit — in cards
  9. dip — to sink
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mug — a face
  12. pop — music
  13. mug — a cup
  14. court — of law
  15. mug — to rob
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pop — soda
  22. court — for sport
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pop — to visit

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