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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. dip — to sink
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. root — of a plant
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. root — the cause
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. date — the fruit
  14. stock — shares
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stock — goods
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. root — of a word
  22. spell — letters
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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