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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. ball — a great time
  4. can — a tin
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. net — after costs
  7. bore — to drill
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bore — to tire
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. dip — to sink
  14. net — for catching
  15. chip — for betting
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ball — a dance
  20. can — to be able to
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. can — a tin

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