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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. hand — in cards
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bass — low music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. firm — steady
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. date — the fruit
  24. jam — a tight spot

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