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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cold — an illness
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cold — not warm
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pit — a hole
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pound — a weight

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