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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. dip — to sink
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pop — to visit
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ball — a dance
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pop — music
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pop — soda
  14. clip — a video
  15. scale — in music
  16. capital — money
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. clip — to cut
  19. object — to protest
  20. capital — a city
  21. scale — size or range
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  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