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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. lie — to recline
  5. file — a tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — goods
  11. net — in sport
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rash — a series
  18. file — a document

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