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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cold — not warm
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitch — completely
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. date — the fruit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. suit — to fit

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