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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stock — shares
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. dip — to sink
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. field — for sport
  10. stock — goods
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. field — farmland
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rush — hurry
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. field — a subject
  23. prune — to trim
  24. dip — a sauce

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