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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. firm — decided
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. firm — steady
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. content — the amount
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. content — happy
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. firm — a company
  21. band — a ring
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. dip — to sink

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