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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. scale — size or range
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. cap — of ice
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fine — all right
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cap — a lid
  24. dip — to sink

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