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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. can — to be able to
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fine — all right
  10. can — a tin
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. club — a group
  14. bulb — for light
  15. club — for dancing
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. club — for golf
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wound — an injury
  23. can — a tin
  24. bulb — of a plant

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