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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. spell — magic
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pop — music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. spell — letters
  13. stock — goods
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stock — shares
  18. pop — soda
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. craft — boats
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. dip — to sink

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