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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pit — a hole
  6. dip — to sink
  7. spring — of water
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. land — to come down
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. spring — the season
  12. pit — in a race
  13. spring — a coil
  14. land — a country
  15. stock — goods
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. board — to get on
  19. chest — a box
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stock — shares
  22. land — ground
  23. board — a committee
  24. fine — all right

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