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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pop — soda
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fine — all right
  10. race — humankind
  11. fine — high quality
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pop — music
  21. race — a contest
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fine — a penalty

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