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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stand — to bear
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. staff — employees
  13. content — the amount
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. net — after costs
  16. content — happy
  17. stock — goods
  18. staff — employees
  19. net — in sport
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stock — shares
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. net — for catching
  24. staff — a stick

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