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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. fine — high quality
  3. tube — the underground
  4. capital — money
  5. pit — a hole
  6. staff — employees
  7. dip — to sink
  8. fine — all right
  9. staff — employees
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. staff — a stick
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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