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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. track — a path
  4. cue — a signal
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. snap — to click
  15. game — wild animals
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. track — a song
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rush — hurry
  23. game — a match
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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