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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · nail · pitcher · date · foot · lie · chest · stock

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. date — the fruit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chest — a box
  11. dip — to sink
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — goods
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. lie — to recline

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