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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: can · file · dip · deal · root · mark · mug · bat

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. can — a tin
  6. mug — a face
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. root — the cause
  12. can — a tin
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. file — a tool
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mark — a grade
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a document
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mug — to rob
  23. root — of a word
  24. mark — to pay attention

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