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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's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. can — to be able to
  4. drill — a practice
  5. can — a tin
  6. charge — electricity
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rash — a series
  9. drill — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. deal — to handle
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. drill — army training
  15. rash — hasty
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stock — goods
  21. date — the fruit
  22. charge — a price
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. charge — in control

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