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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bass — the fish
  4. snap — to click
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bass — low music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. dip — to sink
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. scale — size or range
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. scale — in music
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. ball — a dance

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