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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. press — to push
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stock — goods
  9. wound — an injury
  10. dip — to sink
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stock — shares
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bowl — a football final

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