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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: can · tube · dip · fine · ball · deal · cell · court

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cell — a phone
  4. court — of law
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fine — all right
  7. court — of a king
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fine — high quality
  10. tube — a container
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ball — a great time
  15. dip — to sink
  16. ball — a dance
  17. court — for sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. can — a tin
  22. cell — in biology
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cell — in a prison

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