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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cap — a lid
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. firm — steady
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. firm — decided
  17. fine — all right
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fine — high quality
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fine — a penalty

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