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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. shower — to wash
  4. craft — a skill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ground — a position
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. craft — boats
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ball — a dance
  17. shower — rain
  18. bulb — for light
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cabinet — ministers

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