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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pitch — completely
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — child
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mark — a trace
  24. dip — to dunk

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