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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: straw · deal · mouse · rock · tube · stock · dip · spell

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stock — shares
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. tube — a container
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rock — music
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. spell — magic
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. stock — goods
  21. deal — to handle
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. deal — a big deal

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