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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kid — to tease
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. kid — child
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cell — a phone

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