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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mine — for digging
  3. present — the time now
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. scale — in music
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. present — there
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. charge — a price
  14. cue — for pool
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cue — a hint
  19. charge — electricity
  20. present — a gift
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. charge — in control
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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