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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 116 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. swing — music
  5. ball — a dance
  6. track — a path
  7. ball — a great time
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. track — a song
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mug — a face
  16. swing — in golf
  17. track — to keep track
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fork — in a road
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. ball — a round shape

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