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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. shower — rain
  3. content — the amount
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. root — the cause
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fine — all right
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. content — happy
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. root — of a plant
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tube — a container
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. dip — to sink
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. root — of a word
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. tube — the underground
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. ruler — a monarch

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