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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pop — soda
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wind — moving air
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fine — all right
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. chip — for betting
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pop — to visit
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pop — music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pit — in a race

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