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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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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: dip · fine · ball · game · kid · snap

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. game — a match
  4. fine — all right
  5. kid — child
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ball — a great time
  9. game — wild animals
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fine — high quality
  15. dip — to sink
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ball — a dance
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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