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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. net — in sport
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rock — a stone
  7. net — after costs
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stock — shares
  11. chip — to eat
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fine — all right
  16. stock — goods
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. net — for catching
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rock — music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. dip — to sink

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