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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. can — to be able to
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. toast — bread
  6. present — the time now
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stock — goods
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. can — a tin
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. sharp — clever
  14. present — a gift
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. present — there
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chest — a box
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chest — of your body
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chest — of your body
  24. can — a tin

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