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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stock — goods
  7. rest — what's left
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stock — shares
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. saw — the tool
  17. scale — in music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rest — a break
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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