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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. can — a tin
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stock — goods
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. field — farmland
  9. stock — shares
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. can — to be able to
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — a line
  15. can — a tin
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. dip — to sink
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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