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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. kid — child
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bound — certain
  6. game — a match
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bound — tied together
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. kid — to tease
  14. game — wild animals
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pass — a permit

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