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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · mug · cold · dip · bowl · pitch

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fine — all right
  7. cold — not warm
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cold — an illness
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pitch — completely
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mug — to rob

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