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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — to sink
  3. object — to protest
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. bore — to tire
  8. file — a tool
  9. object — an aim
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. object — a thing
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stock — goods
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stock — shares
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. file — a line of people
  20. capital — a city
  21. file — a document
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. dip — a sauce

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