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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pit — in a race
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mine — for digging
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. can — a tin
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pit — a hole
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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