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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chip — for betting
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. season — in sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. spring — the season
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. craft — boats
  13. spring — of water
  14. foot — a measure
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. drill — the tool
  17. craft — a skill
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. spring — a coil
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. season — of the year

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