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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cap — of ice
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. charge — a price
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. dip — to sink
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. deal — to handle
  22. scale — in music
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. dip — to dunk

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