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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 120 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chip — for betting
  6. net — after costs
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fine — high quality
  9. net — for catching
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rock — music
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. chip — to eat
  19. net — in sport
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rock — a stone

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