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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. kid — to tease
  13. hand — help
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stock — shares
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. kid — child
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stock — goods

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