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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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 dunk
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mine — for digging
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. kick — in football
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. lean — thin
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. scale — in music
  24. club — for golf

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