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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. row — a line
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bound — certain
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bound — tied together
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fine — high quality
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bass — low music
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. game — a match
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fine — all right
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bass — the fish

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