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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. kid — child
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. track — a path
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — a division
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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