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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fine — all right
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spring — the season
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fine — high quality
  22. sharp — clever
  23. spring — of water
  24. sharp — with an edge

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