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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bank — of a river
  3. object — an aim
  4. bank — for money
  5. clip — to cut
  6. field — a subject
  7. object — a thing
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bank — for money
  13. clip — a video
  14. object — to protest
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pound — a weight
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. field — farmland
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. clip — for paper
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. field — for sport

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