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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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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: mug · spell · mark · pit · dip · bass · ground · clip

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ground — a position
  5. spell — a short time
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. clip — a video
  8. mug — a face
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bass — low music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. spell — magic
  18. ground — the earth
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mug — to rob
  24. spell — letters

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