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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stock — goods
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. spring — a coil
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spring — the season
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. spring — of water
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. content — the amount
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stock — shares
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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