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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. club — for golf
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. club — a group
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stock — goods
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cap — a hat
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stock — shares
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chip — for betting
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. deal — to handle

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