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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pass — a permit
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. net — in sport
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rash — a series
  14. rush — hurry
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. net — after costs
  18. deal — to handle
  19. content — happy
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. net — for catching
  24. content — the amount

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