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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. swing — to play on
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. swing — in golf
  9. chip — to eat
  10. swing — music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. game — a match
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. ball — a dance
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chip — for betting
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fan — to cool the air

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