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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 116 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. season — of the year
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. dip — to sink
  6. net — in sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. net — after costs
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bass — low music
  15. swing — music
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bass — the fish
  19. season — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bark — to shout

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