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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rock — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. dip — to sink
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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