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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 so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. suit — to fit
  3. can — a tin
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. swing — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. suit — in cards
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stock — shares
  11. hand — help
  12. dip — to sink
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stock — goods
  16. suit — clothes
  17. can — to be able to
  18. swing — in golf
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. date — the fruit

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