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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. craft — boats
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. dip — to sink
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bowl — to roll

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