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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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. track — a path
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rush — hurry
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. snap — to click
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — goods
  16. track — a song
  17. stock — shares
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cap — a lid

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