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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 120 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. club — a group
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. can — to be able to
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. dip — to sink
  8. kid — child
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. can — a tin
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pop — music
  13. land — a country
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. can — a tin
  17. land — to come down
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. kid — to tease
  24. land — ground

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