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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pop — soda
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mug — a cup
  5. capital — money
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mug — a face
  12. dip — to sink
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mug — to rob
  15. foot — a measure
  16. current — electric
  17. pop — music
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. capital — a city
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — a sauce

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