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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 · stock · bear · mate · wake · scale · can · sharp

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. sharp — clever
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stock — shares
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stock — goods
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. scale — in music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. sharp — exactly

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