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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pop — soda
  3. wake — a trail
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pop — music
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pop — to visit
  9. dip — to sink
  10. drill — a practice
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rash — a series
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rash — hasty
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. drill — army training
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. drill — the tool
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. dip — to dunk

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