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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fork — in a road
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stock — goods
  21. scale — in music
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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