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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · dip · safe · chip · squash · face · scale · cap

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cap — a hat
  3. face — to confront
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cap — a lid
  6. face — part of the head
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stock — goods
  10. squash — to crush
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cap — of ice
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stock — shares
  18. chip — to eat
  19. face — to point toward
  20. scale — in music
  21. chip — for betting
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. squash — the sport

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