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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. swing — music
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. object — a thing
  7. net — after costs
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rock — music
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wound — an injury
  14. net — for catching
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. object — to protest
  22. rock — a stone
  23. object — an aim
  24. net — in sport

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