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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 120 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pit — in a race
  3. firm — steady
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. chip — for betting
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. club — a group
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. court — of law
  12. craft — a skill
  13. court — for sport
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. firm — decided
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pit — a hole
  20. court — of a king
  21. dip — to sink
  22. firm — a company
  23. club — for golf
  24. craft — boats

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