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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ground — the earth
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. ground — a position
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. current — electric
  10. ground — crushed
  11. current — happening now
  12. stock — goods
  13. content — happy
  14. rest — what's left
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rest — what's left
  17. content — the amount
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. current — of water
  23. rest — a break
  24. content — videos and posts

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