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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rock — a stone
  3. content — the amount
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. fall — the season
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — to sink
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. land — ground
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. land — to come down
  17. rock — music
  18. content — happy
  19. land — a country
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pitch — completely
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rock — to move gently

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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