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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. track — to keep track
  9. march — music
  10. track — a path
  11. dip — to sink
  12. track — a song
  13. stand — to bear
  14. last — finally
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. mine — for digging
  19. march — the month
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pit — a hole

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