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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 120 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. file — a tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. hand — in cards
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. file — a document

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