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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · pop · court · cap · field · plane · mouse · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cap — of ice
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. court — of a king
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. rest — a break
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. field — for sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pop — music
  24. cap — a hat

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