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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. field — for sport
  3. pitch — completely
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. field — farmland
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. dip — to sink
  18. branch — a division
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lie — to recline
  22. field — a subject
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chip — for betting

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