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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. spring — of water
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. hand — help
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. content — the amount
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mug — a face
  17. chip — for betting
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. spring — the season
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. content — happy
  23. chip — to eat
  24. hand — in cards

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