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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — to sink
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. race — a contest
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. cap — a lid
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. race — humankind
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stock — goods
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. can — to be able to
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stock — shares
  22. content — happy
  23. can — a tin
  24. race — the arms race

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