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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stock — goods
  9. field — for sport
  10. cue — a signal
  11. spring — of water
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stock — shares
  15. prune — to trim
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. field — a subject
  19. cue — for pool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spring — the season
  22. field — farmland
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. dip — to dunk

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