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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. deal — to handle
  7. dip — to sink
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rock — music
  11. stock — shares
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — a container
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stock — goods
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. deal — an agreement

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