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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wound — an injury
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mark — a trace
  10. spell — magic
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. spell — a short time
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spell — letters
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitcher — a jug

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