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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. suit — clothes
  3. ground — a position
  4. suit — to fit
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. stock — shares
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ground — the earth
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fine — all right
  11. swing — music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. scale — size or range
  14. dip — to sink
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stock — goods
  20. scale — in music
  21. ground — crushed
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. scale — for weighing

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