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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. roll — a list
  3. spring — of water
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rule — a law
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. spring — the season
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pass — a permit
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. key — in music
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. dip — to sink

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