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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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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. net — after costs
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rule — government
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mark — a trace
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mark — a grade
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ground — a position
  17. row — a line
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. net — in sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rule — a law
  23. row — to paddle
  24. net — for catching

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