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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. saw — the tool
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. row — to paddle
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. row — a line
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. pound — a weight

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