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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fall — to drop
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rock — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. squash — the sport

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