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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. field — a subject
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. craft — boats
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. roll — a list
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stock — goods
  14. chip — for betting
  15. craft — a skill
  16. content — happy
  17. stock — shares
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. content — the amount
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. dip — to sink
  22. field — for sport
  23. roll — a cake
  24. field — farmland

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