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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. dip — to sink
  5. content — happy
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. stock — shares
  8. cue — a signal
  9. march — the month
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cue — a hint
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. content — the amount
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stock — goods
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. snap — to click

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