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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stock — goods
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. foot — a measure
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. last — final
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lean — thin
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stock — shares
  18. last — finally

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