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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. content — the amount
  4. stock — goods
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. band — a music group
  8. content — happy
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pop — to visit
  13. band — a ring
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pop — music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rock — music
  24. pop — soda

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