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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stock — goods
  4. rule — government
  5. content — the amount
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. dip — to sink
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. squash — to crush
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rule — a law
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. squash — the sport
  21. snap — to click
  22. scale — in music
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. content — happy

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