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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mug — a face
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. swing — to play on
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. content — happy
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. content — the amount
  18. bear — the animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mark — a grade
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. swing — music
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. dip — to dunk

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