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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. band — a ring
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cue — for pool
  11. deal — to handle
  12. band — a music group
  13. fine — all right
  14. cue — a signal
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. squash — to crush
  24. dip — to sink

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