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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. capital — money
  9. current — of water
  10. kick — in football
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. current — happening now
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. current — electric
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. land — to come down

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