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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. spring — the season
  3. object — a thing
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. object — to protest
  7. stock — shares
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stock — goods
  12. spring — of water
  13. object — an aim
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fork — in a road

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