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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. shower — to wash
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pop — to visit
  7. can — a tin
  8. dip — to sink
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pop — music
  11. band — a music group
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. shower — rain
  14. band — a ring
  15. pitch — completely
  16. can — a tin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. can — to be able to
  22. toast — bread
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pop — soda

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