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

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. rock — a stone
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spring — a coil
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stock — shares
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. squash — the sport
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rock — music

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