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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. saw — the tool
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cap — of ice
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. hand — help
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bulb — for light

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