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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. can — a tin
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. can — a tin
  5. season — of the year
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stock — shares
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. capital — money
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. season — in sport
  22. stock — goods
  23. rush — hurry
  24. capital — a city

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