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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 116 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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pit — a hole
  4. scale — in music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mine — for digging
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. key — in music
  21. pit — in a race
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mouse — the animal
  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