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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. root — of a plant
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. game — a match
  14. root — of a word
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. root — the cause
  23. mark — a grade
  24. game — wild animals

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