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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mark — a trace
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. ball — a great time
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pop — music
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. present — there
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wound — an injury
  18. present — a gift
  19. pop — soda
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. present — the time now
  24. racket — for tennis

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