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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. last — to go on
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stock — goods
  15. net — for catching
  16. cap — a lid
  17. last — finally
  18. cap — a hat
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. stock — shares
  22. court — of a king
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. last — final

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