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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pop — soda
  3. roll — a list
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. kick — in football
  7. swing — music
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pop — music
  10. roll — a cake
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. swing — in golf
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bay — a horse colour

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