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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stock — goods
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — to come from
  7. board — to get on
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. dip — to sink
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stock — shares
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. board — a committee
  24. stem — of a plant

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