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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. scale — size or range
  3. season — in sport
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chip — to eat
  10. scale — in music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. content — happy
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. scale — for weighing

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