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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cold — an illness
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pound — a weight
  5. dip — to sink
  6. scale — in music
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. can — a tin
  17. mark — a trace
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. can — a tin
  21. cold — not warm
  22. file — a line of people
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mark — a grade

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