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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. chip — for betting
  5. net — in sport
  6. stock — goods
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. net — after costs
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. net — for catching
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stock — shares
  24. prune — to trim

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