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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pit — a hole
  6. chair — a leader
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pit — in a race
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. sharp — with an edge

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