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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mark — a grade
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bat — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitch — completely
  23. saw — the tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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