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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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 — a sauce
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bear — the animal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. track — a path
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. scale — in music
  10. net — after costs
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. net — for catching
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. net — in sport
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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