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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: row · stock · dip · can · stick · date · object · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. can — a tin
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. can — a tin
  6. object — an aim
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stock — shares
  9. row — to paddle
  10. object — to protest
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. swing — in golf
  13. object — a thing
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stock — goods
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. swing — music
  20. date — the fruit
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. dip — to sink
  23. can — to be able to
  24. row — a line

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