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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. key — for a lock
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. key — in music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. rush — hurry
  15. key — the most important part
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pitch — completely
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. clip — for paper

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