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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rash — hasty
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pound — a weight
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — a series
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rash — on the skin

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