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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rash — a series
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. key — in music
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bass — low music
  11. land — to come down
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rash — hasty
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. ground — a position
  21. land — a country
  22. ground — crushed
  23. land — ground
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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