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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bass — the fish
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. board — to get on
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bass — low music
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. ball — a great time
  21. board — a committee
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. squash — to crush

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