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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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. track — a path
  7. degree — temperature
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tube — a container
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lean — thin
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lean — to bend
  20. track — a song
  21. bass — low music
  22. degree — an amount
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. degree — from a university

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