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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: mark · ball · object · roll · wave · clip · ground · dip

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. roll — a list
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. clip — to cut
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. object — an aim
  10. ball — a dance
  11. clip — for paper
  12. ground — the earth
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. clip — a video
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ground — crushed
  19. roll — a cake
  20. object — to protest
  21. ground — a position
  22. object — a thing
  23. dip — to sink
  24. ball — a great time

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