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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. object — to protest
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stock — goods
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. object — an aim
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stock — shares
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. object — a thing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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