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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bear — the animal
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rush — hurry
  8. field — a subject
  9. chip — for betting
  10. spell — a short time
  11. field — farmland
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. spell — magic
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. field — for sport
  22. spell — letters
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bear — to put up with

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