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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. file — a tool
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. track — a path
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pit — in a race
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. content — the amount
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. track — a song
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. file — a document
  17. bass — the fish
  18. content — happy
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bass — low music

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