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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rock — a stone
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. capital — money
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. capital — a city
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. field — for sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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