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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. field — for sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. content — the amount
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. field — farmland
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — a subject
  15. content — happy
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wake — a trail
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bulb — for light
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bulb — of a plant

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