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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. season — of the year
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stock — goods
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stock — shares
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. net — after costs
  12. dip — to sink
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. net — for catching
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. season — in sport
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. net — in sport
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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