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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. scale — size or range
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. scale — in music
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. track — a path
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stock — shares
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. track — to keep track
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stock — goods
  23. track — a song
  24. chair — a professorship

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