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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. land — ground
  4. mug — to rob
  5. march — the month
  6. current — of water
  7. mug — a cup
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. present — a gift
  10. date — the fruit
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. land — to come down
  13. current — happening now
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mug — a face
  16. land — a country
  17. current — electric
  18. march — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. present — the time now
  22. march — the month
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. present — there

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