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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. dip — to sink
  5. date — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. current — electric
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. vault — a safe
  18. current — happening now
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. current — of water
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stock — shares
  24. saw — the tool

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