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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rest — a break
  5. spring — a coil
  6. dip — to sink
  7. spring — the season
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rash — a series
  12. pound — a weight
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fine — all right
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fine — high quality
  24. dip — a sauce

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