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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. kick — in football
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fine — all right
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fine — high quality
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cold — not warm
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bulb — for light
  22. scale — in music
  23. cold — an illness
  24. racket — a loud noise

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