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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. lean — thin
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stock — goods
  7. spell — a short time
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stock — shares
  14. court — of a king
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lean — to bend
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stand — on your feet

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