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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bank — for money
  3. content — happy
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. dip — to sink
  7. club — for golf
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bank — for money
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pit — in a race
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rest — what's left
  16. content — the amount
  17. spell — letters
  18. pit — a hole
  19. fine — all right
  20. rest — what's left
  21. club — a group
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rest — a break
  24. spell — magic

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