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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. file — a document
  7. mark — a grade
  8. root — of a word
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. dip — to sink
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stock — goods
  17. root — the cause
  18. club — for golf
  19. can — a tin
  20. file — a tool
  21. stock — shares
  22. club — a group
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bowl — to roll

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