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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pound — a weight
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. spring — of water
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. spring — the season
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mug — a face
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tube — a container
  23. dip — to sink
  24. chip — for betting

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