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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. march — the month
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. field — farmland
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ball — a great time
  10. season — in sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stock — shares
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. field — a subject
  21. march — the month
  22. field — for sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. march — music

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