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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: mine · cell · stock · dip · stick · object · fall · pop

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. pop — to visit
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pop — soda
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cell — a phone
  14. object — to protest
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. fall — the season
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pop — music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. dip — to sink

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