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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. scale — size or range
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. march — the month
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. scale — in music
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. vault — a safe
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. squash — the sport
  15. kick — in football
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. march — the month
  19. squash — to crush
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. sharp — clever
  24. march — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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