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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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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stock — shares
  10. wind — moving air
  11. dip — to sink
  12. land — ground
  13. scale — size or range
  14. land — to come down
  15. scale — in music
  16. land — a country
  17. stock — goods
  18. dip — a sauce

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