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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.

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: dip · fine · ball · hand · tube · perch · content · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. dip — to sink
  4. hand — help
  5. content — the amount
  6. fine — all right
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fine — high quality
  11. tube — a container
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. tube — the underground
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pop — music
  22. content — happy
  23. perch — the fish
  24. tube — in a tire

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