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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rock — a stone
  5. roll — a list
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pop — music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. object — a thing
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. object — to protest
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pop — soda
  14. dip — to sink
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rock — music
  18. chest — a box
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. chest — of your body
  21. object — an aim
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pop — to visit
  24. roll — a cake

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