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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bank — for money
  4. dip — to sink
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pitch — completely
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stock — shares
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bank — for money
  14. clip — a video
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — magic
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. can — a tin
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. can — to be able to
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bank — of a river

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