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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. dip — to sink
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. suit — clothes
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. date — the fruit
  18. roll — a cake
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. suit — in cards
  21. roll — a list
  22. suit — to fit
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stand — for spectators

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