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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 116 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rash — hasty
  10. race — humankind
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. track — a path
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bass — low music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rash — a series
  20. perch — the fish
  21. track — a song
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. race — a contest
  24. bass — the fish

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