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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stock — shares
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. dip — to sink
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. row — a line

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