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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. capital — money
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. capital — a city
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pitcher — a jug

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