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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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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: bay · bat · pit · bowl · pop · dip · rock · face

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pop — music
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pop — soda
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rock — a stone
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bowl — to roll

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