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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. ball — a great time
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. tube — a container
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. capital — money
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. ball — a dance
  13. dip — to sink
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. shower — rain
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. capital — a city
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. swing — to play on

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