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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bulb — for light
  6. can — to be able to
  7. game — a match
  8. ground — the earth
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — a tin
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mark — a trace
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mark — a grade
  23. swing — music
  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