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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stock — goods
  4. file — a tool
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. chip — to eat
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stock — shares
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a document
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mate — a friend
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mate — a partner
  23. dip — to sink
  24. coach — a trainer

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