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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. ground — crushed
  5. drill — the tool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. kick — in football
  8. ground — a position
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. drill — a practice
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. drill — army training
  23. pitch — completely
  24. jam — in traffic

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