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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 116 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. hand — help
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stand — to bear
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fine — all right
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pop — music
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. dip — to sink
  24. hand — in cards

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