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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. object — an aim
  3. mate — a partner
  4. object — a thing
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cue — for pool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. swing — music
  10. cue — a hint
  11. dip — to sink
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. object — to protest
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bark — to shout
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bark — of a tree

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