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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 120 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 so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. net — after costs
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. net — for catching
  7. pop — to visit
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. swing — in golf
  11. spell — letters
  12. net — in sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. dip — to sink
  20. swing — to play on
  21. vault — a safe
  22. swing — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pop — soda

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