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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pop — to visit
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rash — hasty
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pop — music
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pop — soda
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. snap — to click
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. squash — to crush

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