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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. firm — a company
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cell — a phone
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cell — in biology
  9. firm — steady
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. capital — a city
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. firm — decided
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. capital — money
  24. sharp — clever

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