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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. press — to push
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ball — a dance
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mark — a trace
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stock — shares
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. kick — in football
  20. press — a publisher
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. ball — a great time
  24. dip — to sink

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