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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — goods
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. dip — to sink
  13. last — to go on
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. fine — all right
  17. last — finally
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. foot — a measure
  21. current — happening now
  22. last — final
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. foot — the bottom

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