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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. game — a match
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. mark — a grade
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. dip — to sink
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. dip — a sauce

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