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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pit — a hole
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bank — for money
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ground — a position
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fine — all right
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bank — of a river
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bass — low music
  21. bank — for money
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pit — in a race
  24. game — a match

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