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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mug — a face
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mug — to rob
  6. content — the amount
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ball — a dance
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mug — a cup
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. content — happy
  14. pitch — completely
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. tube — a container
  18. ball — a great time
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. dip — to sink
  23. spring — the season
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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