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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. last — to go on
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. last — final
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mug — a cup
  14. fork — in a road
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mug — a face
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. last — finally
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cap — a hat

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