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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stock — shares
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stock — goods
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. current — happening now
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lean — thin
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. lean — to bend
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. prune — to trim

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