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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. capital — money
  6. present — there
  7. capital — a city
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. date — the fruit
  16. game — a match
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — a gift
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. dip — to sink
  21. game — wild animals
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bowl — to roll

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