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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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. staff — a stick
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. race — a contest
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stock — goods
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. race — humankind
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stock — shares
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. race — the arms race
  19. staff — employees
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cap — of ice
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. staff — employees
  24. stock — a soup base

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