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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. chair — a leader
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. can — to be able to
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. land — a country
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. can — a tin
  12. land — ground
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. can — a tin
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. chair — to sit on

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