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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — in music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. swing — in golf
  7. race — a contest
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. key — for a lock
  10. current — of water
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. chip — to eat
  14. current — happening now
  15. swing — music
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. current — electric
  21. race — the arms race
  22. key — the most important part
  23. swing — to play on
  24. race — humankind

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