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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 116 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 stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. swing — music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fine — all right
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fine — high quality
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bat — the animal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. hand — in cards
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hand — help
  24. fan — a supporter

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