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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. swing — to play on
  4. board — a committee
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stock — shares
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. swing — music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — high quality
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. scale — in music
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stock — goods
  22. fine — all right
  23. dip — to sink
  24. board — to get on

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