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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stock — shares
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. band — a music group
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pit — a hole
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — to sink
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stock — goods
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. band — a ring
  24. pit — in a race

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