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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. chest — of your body
  3. can — a tin
  4. season — in sport
  5. tube — a container
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. chest — a box
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bass — the fish
  12. season — of the year
  13. saw — the tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chest — of your body
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bass — low music
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. can — to be able to
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pound — to hit hard

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