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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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. coach — a trainer
  4. dip — to sink
  5. charge — in control
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. track — a path
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. net — in sport
  10. charge — a price
  11. kid — to tease
  12. roll — a cake
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. track — to keep track
  15. net — for catching
  16. tube — a container
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. track — a song
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. roll — a list
  21. charge — electricity
  22. net — after costs
  23. kid — child
  24. tube — the underground

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