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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. court — of a king
  7. game — a match
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitch — completely
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cap — a lid
  17. court — of law
  18. cap — a hat
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. kick — in football
  21. rock — music
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a 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