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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. content — the amount
  6. scale — size or range
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. race — a contest
  9. chest — a box
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pit — in a race
  12. scale — in music
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pit — a hole
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. suit — clothes
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. chest — of your body
  20. content — happy
  21. last — final
  22. dip — to sink
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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