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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rest — what's left
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. chip — to eat
  6. squash — to crush
  7. march — music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rest — a break
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. chip — for betting
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stock — goods
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. march — the month
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stock — shares
  23. march — the month
  24. stem — to come from

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