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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. net — after costs
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. dip — to sink
  9. content — happy
  10. stock — goods
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. net — in sport
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stock — shares

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