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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rule — government
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rule — a law
  7. dip — to sink
  8. land — to come down
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. rash — a series
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. land — ground
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. craft — boats
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rash — hasty
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. land — a country

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