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

Word bank: kid · bowl · dip · pit · press · kick · mouse · chip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. kid — child
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. kid — to tease
  19. chip — for betting
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pit — in a race
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pit — a hole

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