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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pound — to hit hard

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