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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. suit — clothes
  3. game — a match
  4. suit — to fit
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. toast — bread
  7. dip — to sink
  8. date — the fruit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. shower — to wash
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. suit — in cards
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. shower — rain

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