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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. toast — bread
  3. can — a tin
  4. game — a match
  5. rock — music
  6. ground — the earth
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ground — a position
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. game — wild animals
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rock — a stone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. can — a tin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. can — to be able to
  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