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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stock — shares
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stock — goods
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. root — of a word
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hand — help
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. deal — to handle
  22. root — the cause
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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