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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. dip — to sink
  3. land — to come down
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. land — ground
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — music
  8. toast — bread
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cue — for pool
  20. land — a country
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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