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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. season — in sport
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. season — of the year
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mug — a face

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