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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rock — a stone
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. dip — to sink
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chair — a leader
  10. scale — size or range
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rock — music
  17. scale — in music
  18. chair — a professorship

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