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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pit — in a race
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. dip — to sink
  10. content — the amount
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. content — happy
  18. pop — soda
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pop — music
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stem — to come from
  24. safe — a strongbox

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