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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. date — the fruit
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spell — a short time
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. dip — to sink
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. snap — to click
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. club — a group
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. club — for dancing
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spell — magic
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. spell — letters
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. club — for golf

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