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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. stock — goods
  3. cue — a signal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spring — of water
  6. deal — to handle
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stock — shares
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cue — for pool
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. march — the month
  21. spring — the season
  22. march — music
  23. band — a ring
  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