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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bank — for money
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bank — for money
  7. rule — government
  8. bank — of a river
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bat — the animal
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. season — of the year
  13. pound — a weight
  14. season — in sport
  15. deal — to handle
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rule — a law
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. tube — a container
  24. pound — to hit hard

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