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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 120 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spell — letters
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. suit — clothes
  7. spell — magic
  8. mug — a face
  9. cue — a signal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. suit — in cards
  13. ground — a position
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mug — a cup
  17. suit — to fit
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. fine — all right
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mug — to rob
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cue — for pool

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