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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 · spell · stock · mark · ground · squash · lean · race

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. spell — magic
  5. ground — the earth
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. spell — letters
  9. race — a contest
  10. lean — to bend
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. ground — a position
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stock — shares
  17. squash — the sport
  18. race — the arms race
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mark — a grade
  21. race — humankind
  22. ground — crushed
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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