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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. sharp — clever
  7. date — the fruit
  8. content — happy
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rock — music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. content — the amount
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tube — a container
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. tube — the underground
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rock — a stone

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