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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. saw — the tool
  9. kid — child
  10. fork — in a road
  11. kid — to tease
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mark — a grade
  14. saw — the tool
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. stock — goods
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. press — to push
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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