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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wind — moving air
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rock — a stone
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. net — after costs
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mate — a friend

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