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

Word bank: cold · pit · hide · dip · stock · fine · fork · kick

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fine — all right
  5. kick — in football
  6. pit — a hole
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pit — in a race
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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