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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: jam · game · row · dip · stock · kick · hide · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. kick — in football
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stock — shares
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stock — goods
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cell — in biology
  16. dip — to sink
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. row — a line
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. row — to paddle
  21. game — wild animals
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. game — a match

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