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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bulb — for light
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. content — happy
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rule — government
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. content — the amount
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rule — a law

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