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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. season — in sport
  4. band — a ring
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. ground — a position
  7. net — for catching
  8. season — of the year
  9. net — in sport
  10. stock — goods
  11. key — for a lock
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. key — in music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. key — the most important part
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. net — after costs
  24. 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