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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rash — a series
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rash — hasty
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bear — the animal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. swing — music
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bear — the animal
  21. degree — from a university
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rash — on the skin

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