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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stock — goods
  6. dip — to sink
  7. last — final
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stock — shares
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. last — to go on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ground — crushed
  16. roll — a list
  17. ground — a position
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mark — a trace
  22. last — finally
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cell — a phone

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