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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.

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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. can — a tin
  6. pit — in a race
  7. object — an aim
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. can — to be able to
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. object — a thing
  15. can — a tin
  16. land — a country
  17. object — to protest
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wave — with your hand

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