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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. date — the fruit
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mark — a grade
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. perch — the fish
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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