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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mark — a grade
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. key — in music
  9. mark — a trace
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cap — a lid
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hand — help
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. key — the most important part
  23. hand — in cards
  24. chip — to eat

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