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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 124 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pound — a weight
  4. ball — a great time
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. current — electric
  9. pit — a hole
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pit — in a race
  12. current — of water
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. current — happening now
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. dip — to sink
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. content — the amount
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. content — happy
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pound — for dogs

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