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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: racket · nail · stick · hide · dip · pitcher · game · wound

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wound — an injury
  7. game — a match
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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