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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. kid — to tease
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. date — the fruit
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ball — a dance
  15. kid — child
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. board — to get on
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. board — a committee
  23. dip — to sink
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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