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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rock — music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pound — a weight
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mate — a friend
  13. swing — music
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cap — a lid
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pitcher — a jug

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