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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. ball — a great time
  5. swing — music
  6. net — for catching
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mug — a face
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. chest — a box
  11. pit — a hole
  12. chest — of your body
  13. net — after costs
  14. land — to come down
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pit — in a race
  17. net — in sport
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. land — a country
  20. swing — to play on
  21. land — ground
  22. ball — a dance
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. swing — in golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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