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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. fine — all right
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. sharp — clever
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fine — high quality
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chip — to eat
  10. board — a committee
  11. squash — to crush
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. board — to get on
  22. squash — the sport
  23. racket — for tennis
  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