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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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stock — shares
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pound — a weight
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stock — goods
  13. rash — a series
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mate — to breed
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rash — hasty
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pitcher — a jug

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