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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 116 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cap — of ice
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rash — a series
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. drill — the tool
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. drill — army training
  14. cap — a hat
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rule — a law
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stock — goods
  22. rule — government
  23. stock — shares
  24. rule — to rule out

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