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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stock — shares
  6. kid — to tease
  7. shower — to wash
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stock — goods
  10. dip — to sink
  11. deal — to handle
  12. race — a contest
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. kid — child
  15. can — a tin
  16. race — humankind
  17. court — of a king
  18. shower — rain
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. court — for sport
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. can — to be able to
  24. court — of law

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