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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 116 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. court — of law
  3. stock — shares
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mug — a face
  7. last — final
  8. stock — goods
  9. court — of a king
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. last — finally
  16. court — for sport
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. last — to go on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cap — a lid

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