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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 · charge · wake · deal · kid · stock · lean · field

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stock — shares
  4. lean — to bend
  5. charge — electricity
  6. field — for sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. kid — child
  12. wake — a trail
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. field — a subject
  15. kid — to tease
  16. stock — goods
  17. charge — a price
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. field — farmland
  22. charge — in control
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. lean — thin

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