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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: wave · court · staff · dip · chip · foot · bowl · date

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. court — for sport
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. dip — to sink
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. date — the fruit
  11. court — of law
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. staff — employees
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chip — for betting
  16. staff — a stick
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. court — of a king
  19. staff — employees
  20. chip — to eat
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. foot — a measure

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